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PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 


REVEREND  JOHN  ALEXANDER  MACKAY 
LITT.D.,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  L.H.D. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/glimpsesofindian00jord_0 


MOUNTAIN  INDIANS  NEAR  PUNO,  PERU 


11  1963 


/ 


\ 


OCT 


Glimpses  of  Indian 
America 


ILLUSTRATING  PRESENT-DAY  LIFE  IN  MEXICO 
AND  PARTS  OF  CENTRAL  AND 
SOUTH  AMERICA 


Ay 

W.  F.  JORDAN, 

Secretary,  Upper  Andes  Agency  of  the 
American  Bible  Society 

Author  of  “ Crusading  in  the  West  Indies’ * 


ILLUSTRATED 


New  York  Chicago 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1923,  by 

FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
London:  21  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh :  75  Princes  Street 


Introduction 

By  Charles  S.  Detweiler 

Secretary  for  Latin  North  America  for  the  American 
Baptist  Home  Missionary  Society 

THE  highland  Indians  of  Mexico,  Central, 
and  South  America  are  a  distinct  field  of 
missionary  endeavor,  the  fringe  of  which 
has  scarcely  been  touched.  Inhabiting  the  high  val¬ 
leys  and  table-lands  that  form  the  backbone  of  the 
continent,  they  themselves  constitute  the  backbone 
and  bulk  of  the  population.  It  is  generally  ac¬ 
knowledged,  even  by  Roman  Catholic  writers,  that 
their  condition  to-day  is  worse  than  when  they 
were  discovered  and  conquered  by  the  united  repre¬ 
sentatives  of  the  Spanish  Church  and  State.  It  is 
true,  however,  that  commendable  efforts  have  been 
made  by  different  liberal  governments  to  better 
their  condition  in  the  matter  of  wages  and  to  pro¬ 
tect  them  against  abuse.  In  Mexico  the  revolution 
begun  by  Madero  brought  them  a  large  measure 
of  political  liberty.  But  to  elevate  them  and  edu¬ 
cate  them  beyond  the  covers  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
catechism,  practically  nothing  has  been  done  apart 
from  a  few  scattered  and  isolated  evangelical  mis¬ 
sion  stations. 

The  greater  part  of  the  wretchedness  of  the 

3 


4 


INTRODUCTION 


Indians  is  the  result  of  the  attitude  of  mind  of  the 
ruling  class  toward  them.  They  are  not  supposed 
to  have  any  self-respect.  Overseers  frequently 
strike  them,  and  children  of  families  where  servants 
are  kept  are  accustomed  to  domineer  over  them  in 
a  rude  and  heartless  manner.  The  Indian  has  been 
used  as  a  beast  of  burden,  and  brutalised  by  whip¬ 
pings  and  strong  drink.  While  not  savages  like 
their  brethren  in  the  Amazon  forests,  they  are  yet 
far  from  being  civilised.  They  have  simply  been 
domesticated. 

This  condition  of  the  Indians  is  not  a  matter  of 
unconcern  to  many  of  the  best  people  of  Latin 
America.  Numerous  projects  of  laws  introduced 
in  the  legislative  bodies  of  the  different  countries 
show  that  the  Indian  has  friends  and  defenders  in 
high  places,  but  mere  legislative  measures  can  never 
cure  ills  that  are  of  three  centuries  duration.  A 
few  years  ago  there  was  held  in  Antigua,  Guate¬ 
mala,  a  congress  of  delegates  from  five  republics 
for  the  purpose  of  framing  a  constitution  for  one 
united  Republic  of  Central  America.  Nearby,  in 
the  Indian  village  of  San  Antonio,  was  a  Protestant 
missionary  who  availed  himself  of  this  unusual 
opportunity  to  bear  witness  to  the  power  of  the 
Gospel.  The  delegates  were  invited  to  listen  to  a 
program  prepared  in  their  honor.  First  a  large 
group  of  Indian  believers  sang  two  hymns,  fol¬ 
lowed  by  a  specially  trained  Indian  quartet.  Then 
there  were  exercises  by  the  Indian  children,  and  at 


INTRODUCTION 


5 


the  close  a  brief  address.  The  response  from  the 
delegates  was  instantaneous.  A  Guatemalan  arose 
to  say  that  he  had  never  seen  anything  like  it;  he 
marveled  to  see  what  the  gospel  had  done  for  a  race 
which  their  conquerors  had  always  considered  as 
beasts.  Another  of  the  delegates  in  expressing  his 
appreciation,  promised  to  try  to  interest  his  gov¬ 
ernment  in  the  drainage  of  the  swamps  which 
make  the  Indian  towns  so  unhealthy.  Whatever  is 
done  by  American  Christians  for  these  neglected 
people  is  sure  to  awaken  a  hearty  response  in  all 
the  forward  looking  minds  of  Latin  America,  and 
will  be  to  them  the  best  possible  commendation  of 
our  Gospel. 

The  author  of  this  book  has  had  an  unusually 
successful  career  in  promoting  the  sale  and  distri¬ 
bution  of  the  Bible  in  Latin  America.  His  min¬ 
istry  brings  him  into  close  and  constant  contact 
with  all  classes.  Out  of  a  full  heart  he  writes  a 
record  of  his  experiences  and  observations  while 
pursuing  his  chosen  task,  which  is  in  reality  a  sin¬ 
cere  plea  for  the  down-trodden  aborigines  in  the 
lands  south  of  us.  As  one  who  personally  knows 
the  situation  which  Mr.  Jordan  describes,  I  am  glad 
to  testify  to  the  faithfulness  of  his  portraits.  The 
case  is  not  overstated.  May  God  use  this  book  to 
awaken  in  Christians  everywhere  a  genuine  concern 
for  the  evangelization  of  the  long-suffering  people 
of  Indo-America. 


Preface 


IT  is  a  sense  of  personal  responsibility  that 
brings  me  again  before  the  reading  public. 
With  the  mute  appeal  of  the  sufferings  of  the 
helpless  descendants  of  the  once  powerful  races  of 
whom  I  write  constantly  before  my  eyes,  and  with 
their  voiced  cry  for  help  ringing  in  my  ears,  the 
obligation  to  add  my  quota  to  the  effort  being  put 
forth  in  their  behalf  becomes  absolutely  unavoid¬ 
able.  “  Crusading  in  the  West  Indies  ”  was  writ¬ 
ten  to  help  make  better  understood  the  nature  of 
the  work  of  the  Society  that  is  the  Agent  of  the 
American  Churches  in  supplying  the  Nations  with 
the  printed  Gospel.  The  purpose  of  this  volume  is 
to  help  the  reader  to  feel,  as  I  have  felt  after  seeing 
some  of  the  things  I  have  seen,  in  my  extensive 
travels  during  the  last  nine  years  in  what  I  here 
term  Indian  America. 

I  wish  to  express  my  gratitude  to  the  American 
Bible  Society  for  the  much-to-be-coveted  oppor¬ 
tunity  it  has  given  me  for  service  in  such  intensely 
interesting  fields  as  Mexico,  Central,  and  South 
America.  The  ready  accessibility  of  the  West 
Coast  of  the  latter  via  the  Panama  Canal  has  but 
increased  and  intensified  our  responsibility  for  the 


7 


8 


PREFACE 


neglected  condition  of  the  Indian  through  the 
whole  Andean  Region. 

I  also  desire  to  thank  my  colleague,  Rev.  R.  R. 
Gregory,  Secretary  of  the  Caribbean  Agency  of 
the  American  Bible  Society,  for  his  sympathetic 
help ;  as  well  as  Miss  Mabel  Barnhouse,  and 
Miss  Fannie  Kingsbury,  of  the  Canal  Zone;  Dr. 
F.  W.  Goding,  American  Consul  General  of  Guaya¬ 
quil,  Ecuador;  Mr.  R.  D.  Smith,  of  Los  Angeles; 
Dr.  Webster  Browning,  of  the  Committee  on  Co¬ 
operation  in  Latin  America;  Bishop  William  F. 
Oldham,  and  others  who  have  read  my  manuscript, 
made  corrections  and  suggestions  and  encouraged 
me  to  proceed  with  its  publication.  May  it  prove  a 
contribution  to  the  cause  of  the  Master,  in  helping 
to  create  a  sympathetic  understanding  of  the  con¬ 
dition  and  need  of  those  concerning  whom  I  have 
written ! 


Bible  House, 

Cristobal ,  Canal  Zone . 


W.  F.  J. 


Contents 


I.  Indian  America  .  .  .  .11 

II.  Yucatan  and  Campeche  .  .  .25 

III.  Through  the  Land  oe  the  Aztecs  .  38 

IV.  Misconceptions  Corrected  .  .51 

V.  In  and  Around  the  Aztec  Capitae  .  65 

VI.  The  Bibee  House,  Cristobae,  C.  Z.  82 
VII.  Cristobal  to  Puno,  Peru  .  .  .95 

VIII.  The  Highlands  oe  Southern  Peru.  114 
IX.  Beautieue  La  Paz  .  .  .  .128 

X.  The  Bolivian  Interior  .  .  .  145 

XI.  The  Cradle  oe  the  Incas  .  .  170 

XII.  The  Macedonian  Cry  .  .  .  185 

Index  ......  204 


i 


Illustrations 


FACING  PAGE 

Mountain  Indians  Near  Puno,  Peru .  title 

Girl  Spinning  on  Primitive  Spindle .  16 

Weaving  a  Beautifully  Blended  Fabric .  16 

Indian  Woman  (San  Bias)  Panama .  84 

Mexican  Christian  Woman  Carrying  Water.  84 
Quechua  and  Aymara  Indians  Appealing  to 
Supt.  Wilcox  of  Adventist  Mission  to  Es¬ 
tablish  Schools  in  Their  Villages .  120 

Christian  Pupils  and  Teachers  Celebrating 

Independence  Day,  Plater ia,  Peru .  120 

Bolivian,  Aymara,  Indian  Women  in  Char¬ 
acteristic  Dress  of  Tableland  Near  La  Paz.  136 

Indian  Mountain  Home .  136 

Aymara  Indian  Boys  Pasturing  Cattle  and 
Gathering  Reeds  in  Marshes  of  Lake 

Titicaca .  168 

Sunday  School,  Arque,  Bolivia .  168 

Representative  Quechua  Indians  in  Cuzco 
Appealing  to  Missionaries  for  Schools. .  .  .  196 

Mr.  Powlison  Behind  Prison  Bars  for  the 
Sake  of  the  Gospel,  San  Pedro,  Bolivia, 

1922  .  200 

Cakchiquel  Indian  Evangelists  of  Central 
America  Mission,  Antigua,  Guatemala ....  200 

10 


I 


INDIAN  AMERICA 

GEOGRAPHICALLY,  the  Americas  are 
spoken  of  as  North  and  South;  politically, 
as  Anglo-Saxon  and  Latin.  There  is  an¬ 
other  America  that  is  less  frequently  mentioned, 
largely  unknown  to  the  rest  of  the  world,  almost 
totally  undeveloped,  untouched,  and  unaided  by 
modern  Christian  and  philanthropic  effort,  a  sec¬ 
tion  of  which,  in  Central  and  South  America,  con¬ 
stitutes,  according  to  the  authors  of  the  “  World 
Survey,”  “  The  greatest  stretch  of  unevangelized 
territory  in  the  world.”  Here  the  population  is 
overwhelmingly  Indian,  and  can,  we  think,  be  fit¬ 
tingly  termed  “  Indian  America.” 

By  Indian  America  I  mean  particularly  that 
section  of  the  New  World  inhabited  by  the  de¬ 
scendants  of  those  races  whose  forefathers  had 
established  civilisations  that  were  old  before  the 
landing  of  Columbus.  These  people  are  to  be 
found  in  greatest  numbers  today  in  Mexico  and 
Gautemala  of  the  Northern  Hemisphere,  and  in 
Ecuador,  Peru,  and  Bolivia,  of  the  Southern.  In 
all  of  these  countries  there  are  large  racial  groups 
that  retain  their  ancient  customs,  costumes  and 


11 


12  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


languages  in  spite  of  400  years  of  contact  with 
European  civilisation.  In  all  of  them  the  Indian 
blood  predominates  among  the  governed ;  while  the 
ruling  class  and  the  clergy  are  largely  white.  In 
three  of  them,  Gautemala,  Peru,  and  Bolivia,  the 
system  of  selling  the  Indians  with  the  land  still 
prevails.  In  all  of  them  the  disinherited  Indian 
today  exists  by  sufferance  only,  in  his  stone,  mud, 
or  palm  leaf  hut,  on  land  that  belonged  to  his  fore¬ 
fathers.  In  none  of  these  countries  did  freedom 
from  Spain  mean  liberty  for  the  Indian.  It  meant 
simply  license  for  the  white,  lineal  or  political  de¬ 
scendant  of  the  Spanish  conquerors,  to  continue  to 
exploit  the  aborigines  without  being  answerable  to 
the  Spanish  Crown.  The  condition  of  the  Indian 
in  the  so-called  free  republics  became  even  more 
pitiable  than  when  he  was  under  the  tutelage  of  the 
Monarchs  of  Spain. 

Of  these  five  countries,  Mexico  has  made  the 
greatest  strides  towards  the  emancipation  of  the 
Indian.  Practically,  as  well  as  technically,  he  is 
coming  into  his  own  in  this  latter  country.  The 
abominable  peonage  system  of  slavery  which  flour¬ 
ished  under  the  Diaz  regime  was  abolished  during 
the  last  revolution.  We  no  longer  speak  of  Whites 
and  Indians  in  Mexico,  but  of  Mexicans.  Here 
the  Indian  blood  is  beginning  to  come  to  the  fore, 
even  among  the  ruling  class.  Mexico  is  not  a 
Latin  nation  and  in  our  thinking  we  should  not 
consider  it  as  such.  The  country  designated  on 


INDIAN  AMERICA 


IB 


our  maps  as  Mexico  consists  of  a  heterogeneous 
group  of  nations  speaking  many  languages,  differ¬ 
ing  greatly  in  customs,  but  held  together,  whether 
ruled  or  exploited,  by  a  system  of  government  that 
is  Latin. 

I  find,  generally,  no  adequate  conception  of  the 
,  characteristic  virility  and  constancy  that  has  kept 
the  masses  of  Mexico  plodding  on,  earning  a  living 
while  its  political  leaders  were  trying  to  settle  their 
differences  on  the  field  of  battle  or  in  guerilla  war¬ 
fare  that  left  the  whole  country  in  an  unsettled 
condition.  The  burning  question  in  Mexico  today 
is  the  land  question,  land  not  to  hunt  over,  but  to 
cultivate.  When  this  matter  of  homes  and  fields 
for  the  disinherited  has  been  satisfactorily  settled, 
this  one  characteristic  of  industry  will  cause 
Mexico  to  be  heard  from  in  the  future  councils 
of  the  nations.  She  produces  too  much  of  the 
material  the  world  needs  and  that  commerce  de¬ 
mands  to  allow  herself  to  be  long  disregarded. 
Then  shall  an  American  nation,  American  in  blood 
and  prehistoric  origin,  instead  of  by  immigration 
and  adoption,  add  its  quota  to  the  sum  total  of 
human  progress,  and  the  value  of  her  contribution 
will  not  be  ignored. 

Let  us  give  to  those  in  power  in  these  countries 
credit  for  the  best  of  intentions.  The  present 
rulers  are  undoubtedly  the  choice  of  the  military 
chiefs  who  have  secured  control;  but  even  they 
would  not  venture  to  say  that  they  are  the  choice 


14  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


of  the  people.  The  fact  is,  the  people  have  never 
had  any  choice.  The  impressed  soldiers  fought 
because  they  were  compelled  to  do  so.  The  readi¬ 
ness  with  which  they  have  changed  sides  in  a  civil 
war  is  notorious.  The  ignorant  Indian,  unable 
to  read,  does  not  know  what  his  political  needs  are. 

There  was  a  general  feeling  of  dissatisfaction 
with  the  Diaz  regime  in  Mexico,  with  its  system  of 
peonage  and  the  giving  out  of  all  of  the  land  of 
the  country  to  a  few  already  wealthy  men,  thus 
absolutely  disinheriting  the  native  races.  The 
people  also  hated  the  clergy  because  the  church  had 
supported  the  peonage  and  land  system.  When 
Diaz  was  gone  and  the  foreign  priests  had  been 
expelled,  they  wanted  peace,  but  longed  for  it  in 
vain,  hecause  the  country  was  kept  in  turmoil  by 
warring  factions  among  the  leaders.  The  govern¬ 
ments  of  the  countries  mentioned  are  republican  in 
name  only.  With  the  present  percentage  of  illiter¬ 
acy  a  democracy  is  impossible.  The  most  that  any 
of  their  most  advanced  statesmen  can  do  is  to  lead 
them  a  step  nearer  to  the  point  where  they  can  have 
a  national  consciousness  and  set  out  on  the  road  to 
a  representative  government.  Let  us  not  forget 
the  fact  that  the  real  Mexican  or  native  of  the 
other  countries  mentioned  is  Indian.  The  great 
majority  are  illiterate,  never  having  had  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  learn.  Whatever  civilisation  they  had, 
and  much  of  it  was  valuable,  was  destroyed  by  the 
conquest. 


INDIAN  AMERICA 


15 


Conquered  and  reduced  to  submission  by  the 
treachery  and  superior  weapons  and  armament  of 
the  European,  the  Indian  has  been  kept  in  subjec¬ 
tion  and  ignorance  through  the  centuries.  Look¬ 
ing  vainly  for  relief  from  his  life  of  drudgery  and 
hoping  for  liberty  in  the  land  of  his  fathers,  he  has 
taken  part  voluntarily,  or  when  forced  to  do  so,  in 
revolutions  and  political  uprisings  against  the 
powers  that  were  crushing  him.  Led  to  believe 
that  he  was  fighting  for  his  liberties,  he  has  always 
discovered  in  the  end  that  he  had  helped  to  put 
down  one  set  of  oppressors  only  to  find  his  head 
still  bowing  under  the  yoke  of  another.  The  un¬ 
precedented  prosperity  of  the  landowning  class 
that  developed  in  Mexico  under  Porfirio  Diaz  was 
based  upon  the  labour  of  the  subjugated,  oppressed 
and  brow-beaten  Indian,  and  the  systematic  rob¬ 
bery  of  his  land  and  labour,  in  the  exploitation  of 
the  apparently  unlimited  and  inexhaustible  re¬ 
sources  of  that  great  country. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Indians  spoken 
of  here  are  the  descendants  of  advanced  and 
cultured  races,  peoples  among  whom  agriculture 
had  reached  a  high  state  of  development.  They 
understood  something  of  the  sciences  of  metal¬ 
lurgy,  architecture,  and  engineering,  as  is  evi¬ 
denced  by  articles  of  bronze,  stone  edifices,  and 
irrigation  works.  They  wove  beautiful  fabrics, 
made  robes  of  feathers,  manufactured  beautiful 
inlaid  pottery,  and  had  made  advances  in  astro- 


16  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 

nomical  science  and  in  literature.  They  had  de¬ 
veloped  a  system  of  common  land  tenure,  and  were 
governed  under  their  native  rulers  far  better  than 
has  been  their  lot  since  the  conquest. 

The  Indian  of  these  countries  today,  in  spite  of 
his  degradation  and  periodical  addiction  to  intoxi¬ 
cating  liquors,  is  industrious,  peace-loving,  and,  to 
a  surprising  degree,  artistic.  Mexicans  are  fond 
of  flowers,  weaving  them  into  beautiful  bouquets 
and  garlands.  They  are  expert  in  making  filagree 
work  from  silver  coins,  and  combine  the  feathers 
of  brightly  hued  birds  into  artistic  pictures  and 
emblems.  The  Gautemalan  weaves  figured  belts, 
curtains,  sashes,  and  dresses  that  are  a  dream  of 
artistically  arranged  figures  in  all  the  colours  of 
the  rainbow.  The  Qmchuas  and  Aymaras  in  the 
Andean  region  of  South  America  weave  their  own 
clothing  from  the  wool  of  sheep  and  llama,  make 
their  own  felt  hats,  understand  the  making  of 
vegetable  dyes  for  the  wool  and  yarns  which  they 
weave  with  appropriate  blending  and  delightful 
effect  into  their  highly-coloured  “  lijllas  ”  and 
ponchos. 

“There  goes  the  two-footed  gold  of  Gaute- 
mala,”  a  former  president  of  that  country  is  said 
to  have  remarked  to  a  visitor,  referring  to  an 
Indian  that  had  just  brought  him  a  message.  The 
implication  was,  that  the  prosperity  and  luxury  of 
the  ruling  class  was  based  on  unremunerated 
Indian  labour  and  that  the  Indian  is  classed  as  a 


INDIAN  AMERICA 


17 


domestic  animal  and  valuable  beast  of  burden. 
Never  to  fade  from  memory  while  life  shall  last 
are  some  of  the  sights  of  human  degradation  wit¬ 
nessed  in  continental  travel  south  of  the  Rio 
Grande;  old  women  in  Mexico  City  bowed  low 
under  immense  loads  of  scraggly  fire  wood  held 
in  place  by  coarse  ropes;  men  working  in  town 
and  country  staggering  under  heavy  loads  that  it 
took  four  others  to  lift  and  place  on  their  backs ; 
women  in  Quito,  the  capital  of  Ecuador,  tottering 
along  the  stone-paved  streets  weighted  down  by 
the  enormous  trunks  of  travelers;  Indians  from 
the  country  in  Bolivia  carrying  heavy  logs  on  their 
shoulders  through  the  street  while  a  policeman  held 
a  stack  of  their  home-made  felt  hats  he  had  un¬ 
ceremoniously  snatched  from  them  and  retained 
until  the  forced  task  was  completed.  In  Bolivia, 
as  well  as  in  Gautemala,  the  Indian  is  looked  upon 
as  the  legitimate  property  of  landlord,  government 
and  police  official.  In  some  of  these  countries,  the 
best  talent  is  of  Indian  origin.  Benito  Juares,  the 
Washington  of  Mexico,  was  a  full  blood  Indian, 
as  are  some  of  the  present  leaders  in  that  country. 
There  is  abundant  proof  that  the  real  “  gold  ”  of 
Gautemala  is  to  be  found  in  the  undeveloped 
mental  and  spiritual  capacities  of  the  native 
Indian,  rather  than  in  the  debasing  exploitation  of 
his  muscular  forces  as  implied  by  his  Excellency. 

The  trip  from  the  railway  terminal  at  San 
Felipe  to  Quezaltenango,  the  most  important  town 


18  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


in  the  highlands  of  Gautemala  and  the  second  city 
of  the  country,  has  been  rendered  most  beautiful 
by  nature’s  prodigal  hand.  The  early  morning  air 
is  filled  with  the  perfume  of  the  coffee  blossoms 
while  bright-feathered  birds  utter  harsh  and  stri¬ 
dent  cries  from  their  hiding  places  in  the  luxuriant 
foliage  which,  in  the  lower  reaches  of  the  valley,  is 
abundantly  watered  by  the  never- failing  river.  In 
order  to  take  advantage  of  the  cool  morning  air, 
we  started  on  our  journey  long  before  daylight. 
From  the  very  first,  and  through  the  day  until  we 
arrived  at  our  destination,  we  met  groups  of  In¬ 
dians  bringing  the  products  of  the  interior  down 
the  mountain  side  on  their  backs,  in  packs  weighing 
from  125  to  150  pounds  each.  These  packs  were 
held  in  place  on  the  loins  by  ropes  attached  to  a 
wide  strap  over  the  forehead  like  the  breeching  of 
the  harness  of  a  horse- — the  human  pack  animal 
carrying  the  burdens  of  Gautemala.  All  the  way 
along,  at  the  bottom  of  the  deep  gorge  below  the 
road,  was  to  be  seen  a  rushing,  bounding  river 
with  power  enough  going  to  waste  to  carry,  if 
harnessed,  all  the  traffic  of  Gautemala,  and  supply 
power  for  other  industrial  purposes  as  well.  The 
scene  presented  a  vivid  illustration  of  the  way  in 
which  the  system  of  human  slavery  blinds  the  eyes 
of  those  who  exploit  their  fellowmen  to  the  forces 
of  nature  that  surround  them,  so  that  they  are 
untouched  by  any  ambition  to  dominate,  subdue, 
and  develop  these  possible  sources  of  power. 


INDIAN  AMERICA 


19 


I  was  curious  to  know  what  these  Indians,  we 
met,  were  bringing  down  from  the  highlands  for 
export  to  the  outside  world.  Examining  one  of 
the  packs,  I  found  it  to  be  composed  of  a  large 
number  of  bundles  of  the  little  rootlets  from  which 
our  scrubbing  brushes  are  made.  I  remember,  as  a 
boy,  examining  such  a  brush  and  coming  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  must  be  made  from  the  roots  of 
some  plant,  but  I  did  not  before  know  from  where 
they  came.  The  lady  members  of  our  household 
are  serving  us  when  they  use  these  brushes  in  their 
house  cleaning.  These  poor  down-trodden  Indians 
of  Gautemala  are  just  as  truly  serving  us  when 
they  dig  from  the  pampa,  wash  and  clean  these 
rootlets,  tie  them  into  bundles  and  carry  them  on 
their  backs,  bowing  under  the  heavy  burden  until 
they  reach  the  port  from  whence  the  merchandise 
is  to  be  shipped  to  our  more  favoured  land. 

Toward  evening,  we  passed  the  Indian  village 
of  Zunil  huddled  in  a  widening  of  the  valley.  We 
had  looked  forward  to  seeing  the  homes  of  these 
artistic  people  who,  in  spite  of  their  enslaved  con¬ 
dition,  have  kept  alive  the  love  of  the  beautiful 
that  finds  expression  in  their  wonderful  fabrics. 
What  a  disappointment  awaited  us!  It  was  the 
occasion  of  one  of  the  many  church  festivals. 
Outside  of  the  rumshop  at  the  left  of  the  road 
running  by  the  village  were  Indians  in  all  stages 
of  intoxication.  One  woman  wearing  a  beautiful 
home-woven  belt  lay  unconscious  beside  some  hogs 


20  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 
wallowing  in  the  dirt.  A  little  child  was  trying  to 
rouse  her.  A  man  came  out  of  the  rumshop  and 
tried  to  assist  the  child  in  getting  the  mother’s 
attention.  Soon  all  three,  overcome  by  the  poison 
they  had  been  drinking,  lay  dead  drunk  on  the  side 
of  the  road. 

Cries  attracted  my  attention  to  the  door  of  the 
drinking  place.  Two  intoxicated  Indian  women 
were  leading  away  a  third  crazed  by  the  effects  of 
the  drink.  Her  disheveled  hair  fell  over  her  face, 
obscuring  it.  In  her  frenzied  efforts  she  nearly 
freed  herself  from  those  holding  her:  but  finally 
the  three  staggered  along  the  path  over  the  bridge 
into  the  desolate  village,  followed  by  the  toddling 
child  of  one  of  the  women.  The  Government  of 
Gautemala  prohibits  the  exportation  of  sugar,  in 
order  that  the  cane  may  be  used  in  the  manufac¬ 
ture  of  the  rum  that  brings  in  a  substantial  revenue 
by  the  exploitation  of  the  Indians’  weakness  for  a 
periodical  drunk.  Gautemala  is  not  alone  in  its 
exploitation  of  this  weakness  of  a  depressed  and 
down-trodden  people.  A  South  American  writer 
says  of  this  vice:  “The  Church  supplies  the 
festivals  and  the  Government  the  rum  which  com¬ 
bine  to  work  the  ruin  of  the  Indian.” 

Traveling  by  rail  from  Mexico  City  to  Laredo, 
Texas,  early  in  1917,  I  took  with  me  several  hun¬ 
dred  Gospels  for  distribution  on  the  way.  While 
our  train  was  waiting  at  Queretero,  I  noticed  some 
soldiers  standing  on  the  platform.  Beckoning  to 


INDIAN  AMERICA 


21 


one  to  approach  the  car  in  which  I  was  sitting,  I 
asked  if  he  could  read.  Upon  his  reply  in  the  af¬ 
firmative,  I  gave  him  a  Gospel.  Taking  it  back  to 
where  he  had  been  standing,  he  began  turning  over 
the  leaves.  Another  soldier  looking  over  his 
shoulder  at  the  booklet  inquired  where  it  came 
from,  and  was  directed  to  the  car  window  at  which 
I  sat.  When  he  came  and  asked  if  I  had  a  book 
for  him  also,  I  told  him  that  I  would  like  to  give 
a  Gospel  to  every  soldier  that  could  read.  Soon 
the  car  window  was  besieged  with  soldiers  asking 
for  Gospels. 

By  this  time  the  curiosity  of  the  crowd  wa9 
aroused.  Seeing  the  soldiers  receiving  books, 
others  wanted  them.  Many  children,  as  well  as 
grown  people,  crowded  around  the  car  window 
holding  up  their  hands  for  books.  I  had  pur¬ 
posely  arranged  the  Scripture  portions  in  sets  of 
five,  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  John,  and  Proverbs. 
Holding  up  a  book,  I  would  ask  them  the  name  on 
the  cover  in  order  to  prove  to  me  that  they  could 
read.  One  little  boy  read  promptly  the  name 
“  San  Mateo  ”  and  received  the  book.  The  next 
in  order  was  Mark.  As  I  held  out  the  book  to 
another  boy  who  was  reaching  out  his  hand  for 
one,  he  said  “  San  Mateo,”  but  did  not  receive  the 
book  since  it  was  “  San  Marcos.”  From  my  posi¬ 
tion  above  them  I  was  able  to  tell  whether  or  not 
they  could  read.  If  I  saw  the  lips  moving  in  an 
attempt  to  spell  out  the  title,  I  would  give  the 


22  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


applicant  a  book  because  he  had  thereby  demon¬ 
strated  that  he  knew  his  letters  and  would  be  able 
to  read  it.  The  crowd  about  the  car  window  was 
such  that  it  annoyed  the  train  officials  and  they 
tried  in  vain  to  drive  them  away.  Just  as  the  train 
was  pulling  out  of  the  depot,  a  little  boy  who  had 
just  come  up  ran  along  beside  the  car,  crying  out 
as  if  his  heart  would  break,  “  A  mi  no  me  han 
dado ,  a  mi  no  me  hand  dado  ” — “  They  haven’t 
given  me!  They  haven’t  given  me  !” 

Although  these  expressions  came  from  a  child 
who  did  not  realise  what  it  was  he  had  not  re¬ 
ceived,  his  beseeching  words  haunted  me  for 
months.  They  seemed  so  typical  of  the  condition 
of  these  Indian  races  of  America.  How  many  of 
the  good  things  of  life  are  we  enjoying  that  we 
have  not  given  to  them?  We  have  not  given  them 
our  knowledge  of  agriculture  and  machinery  to 
enable  them  to  secure  the  comforts  of  life.  We 
have  not  given  them  doctors  or  nurses  or  hospitals 
to  help  them  out  in  their  battle  with  disease.  We 
have  not  given  them  even  a  primary  education. 
Nor  have  we  given  them  the  simple  Gospel  which, 
being  the  “  power  of  God  unto  salvation,”  is  able 
to  raise  them  above  the  level  of  the  beasts  and 
make  them  co-workers  with  God  in  establishing 
His  kingdom  upon  earth.  Surely  this  accusing 
cry  with  its  appeal  must  reach  the  ear  of  our 
Heavenly  Father.  Would  that  it  might  reach  our 
ears  and  cause  us  to  respond  so  heartily  that 


INDIAN  AMERICA 


23 


Indian  America  shall  no  longer  be  able  to  say, 
“  They  haven’t  given  me.” 

Passing  through  the  highlands  of  Ecuador  re¬ 
cently  and  noting  the  wretched  huts  of  the  Indians 
scattered  about  the  estates  of  the  wealthy  land- 
owners,  I  had  impressed  upon  my  mind  as  never 
before  the  fact  that  the  true  riches  of  America 
have  not  yet  been  discovered  and  developed. 
Columbus  saw  land,  glory,  and  a  way  to  the 
Indies;  Pizarro,  Cortez  and  their  followers  saw 
gold  and  power;  the  Spanish  monarchs,  gold, 
power,  and  satisfied  ambition.  None  of  these  saw, 
nor  have  the  ruling  classes  yet  seen,  that  the  real 
wealth  of  xAmerica  was  and  is  still  to  be  found  in 
its  people.  Neglected  for  400  years,  they  are  now 
looking  to  us  for  help  in  an  effort  to  rise  out  of 
their  degraded  condition  and  make  themselves  men. 
“  We  want  civilisation ,  Give  us  Christian  Schools,” 
they  cry  to  the  writer,  and  beseech  him  to  carry 
their  appeal  to  the  people  he  represents.  May  this 
call  for  help  find  quick  response  in  the  great  heart 
of  the  Christian  Church. 

Wallace  Thompson  well  says  in  urging  the  co¬ 
operation  of  Business  and  Missions  in  extending 
help  to  these  prostrate  Masses  in  “  Trading  with 
Mexico,”  “  There  is  hope  for  Mexico,  and  that 
hope  is  tied  up  with  the  opportunity  for  foreign 
help  .  .  .  this  single  ray  of  clean,  clear  light  can 
be  recognised  by  all  as  one  of  the  great  hopes  in 
the  horizon  today.”  .  .  . 


24  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


“  The  desertion  of  the  masses  by  the  revolution¬ 
ary  Government  and  the  exile  of  the  natural  aris¬ 
tocracy  have  brought  the  human  problem  of  the 
country  home  with  tremendous  force  to  the  for¬ 
eigners.  It  lies  today  almost  solely  in  their  hands, 
and  seems  likely  to  wait  long  for  rescue  or  aid 
from  any  other  source  whatever.” 

There  was  an  appeal  to  the  heroic,  to  the  spirit 
of  adventure,  and  to  the  desire  for  power  and 
glory  in  the  idea  of  the  discovery  and  conquest  of 
new  lands  and  races  and  their  subjugation  to  the 
crown  of  Spain.  If  we  could  but  grasp  the  vision 
and  hear  the  call,  there  is  an  even  stronger  appeal 
today  to  these  same  emotions,  sanctified,  spiritual¬ 
ised,  in  the  idea  of  bringing  these  same  Indian 
nations  into  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Master, 
prompted  by  His  love,  authorised  by  His  Word, 
and  inspired  by  the  promise  of  His  presence  and 
power.  The  early  discoverers  and  conquerors 
were  willing  to  risk  all  on  the  merest  chance  of 
success.  The  greatest  cause  of  the  ages,  that  of 
winning  the  world  for  Christ,  is  not  to  be  espoused 
without  self-denial,  risk,  and  adventure,  but  the 
reward  is  sure  and  the  riches  to  be  obtained 
imperishable. 


II 


YUCATAN  AND  CAMPECHE 


MY  first  glimpse  of  Indian  America  was  in 
September,  1914.  Being  in  Havana  on 
my  way  to  take  the  boat  for  New  York 
after  a  trip  through  the  West  Indies,  I  received  a 
cable  indicating  that  the  Society  wished  me  to  go 
at  once  to  Mexico,  study  the  situation  there,  and 
make  suggestions  regarding  the  best  way  of  con¬ 
tinuing  the  work  of  Bible  distribution  under  pre¬ 
vailing  conditions.  Taking  with  me  funds  in  the 
shape  of  gold  and  drafts  on  New  York,  I  made 
arrangements  for  sailing  the  same  day  for  Yuca¬ 
tan,  the  nearest  Mexican  state.  All  Mexico  had 
been  torn  with  internal  strife.  The  Madero- 
Carranza-Villa  revolution  had,  however,  appar¬ 
ently  succeeded.  There  was  a  lull  in  aggressive 
military  activities,  but  the  country  was  in  a  badly 
disorganised  condition. 

The  missionary  work  of  the  American  Bible 
Society  had  been  continued  throughout  the  revolu¬ 
tion.  The  country  was  pretty  well  covered  by 
native  colporteurs,  many  of  them  barefooted  or 
sandaled  Indians  living  on  a  comparative  pittance, 
but  happy  to  be  able  to  employ  their  time  in  carry- 

25 


26  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


ing  the  Gospel  to  their  fellow-countrymen.  Dur¬ 
ing  the  Diaz  regime  the  postal  system  had  been 
good,  and  the  Bible  Society  was  accustomed  to 
send  these  men  their  monthly  allowances  in  the 
form  of  postal  money  orders.  At  the  time  of 
which  I  write  internal  disorganisation  greatly  in¬ 
terfered  with  the  efficiency  of  the  postal  service. 
There  had  been  delays  in  the  delivery  of  letters. 
Then  there  was  delay  in  the  payment  of  money 
orders  because  of  lack  of  funds  in  the  local  post 
offices.  Finally  the  government  repudiated  all 
obligation  regarding  them.  This  left  many  of 
these  humble  workers  in  a  pitiful  condition.  Some 
of  them  had  their  salary  for  several  months  in 
worthless  paper  when  what  they  needed  was  food 
and  clothing  for  their  wives  and  children.  Part 
of  my  mission  was  to  get  in  touch  with  and  pay 
off  these  men  wherever  possible. 

Owing  to  the  shallow  water  that  surrounds  the 
low-lying  peninsula  of  Yucatan,  our  ship  anchored 
several  miles  from  shore  off  Progreso,  the  princi¬ 
pal  port.  Passengers  and  mail  were  taken  ashore 
on  a  tug  belonging  to  the  Steamship  Company. 
The  coast  here  is  low  and  sandy  with  the  usual 
tropical  trimming  of  palm-thatched  huts  under 
graceful  cocoanut  trees,  whose  waving  tops  indi¬ 
cate  the  constant  breeze,  which,  in  all  this  region, 
modifies  the  terrific  heat. 

Immediately  after  landing  upon  the  wharf, 
where  customs  and  other  officials  examined  our 


YUCATAN  AND  CAMPECHE 


27 


hand-baggage,  passports,  and  vaccination  certifi¬ 
cates,  I  made  my  way  to  the  office  of  the  Steam¬ 
ship  Company  in  order  to  secure  some  Mexican 
money  in  exchange  for  American  currency.  Mr. 
deCourcey  kindly  offered  to  purchase  the  Ameri¬ 
can  paper  currency  that  I  had  at  the  current  rate. 
In  making  the  correct  change  he  drew  from  his 
pocket  a  number  of  coins,  among  which  was  a 
Mexican  silver  dollar  with  a  suspicious-looking 
dent  in  the  center.  My  curiosity  being  aroused,  I 
asked  the  cause  of  the  dent.  I  was  told  that  a  few 
nights  before  our  arrival  the  revolutionary  forces 
had  come  to  take  charge  of  Yucatan.  A  few  shots 
had  been  fired.  One  of  the  bullets  had  found  its 
lodging  place  against  this  coin  in  Mr.  deCourcey’s 
shirt  pocket  as  he  was  sitting  at  home.  The  spot 
on  his  breast  was  still  black  from  the  impact  of  the 
blow.  Since  his  life  had  been  saved  by  the  pres¬ 
ence  of  the  coin,  he  intended  carrying  it  for  the  re¬ 
mainder  of  his  life.  Except  for  these  few  prelimi¬ 
nary  shots  there  had  been  no  fighting.  Yucatan 
had  suffered  less  from  the  effects  of  the  revolution 
than  many  other  parts  of  Mexico. 

We  took  the  evening  train  to  Merida,  the  capital 
of  the  State.  Everywhere  there  was  evidence  of 
the  chief  industry  of  the  country,  namely,  the  pro¬ 
ducing  and  exporting  of  the  henequen  or  sisal  fiber 
utilised  in  the  manufacture  of  binder  twine  for  the 
farmers  in  America.  The  peninsula  of  Yucatan 
consists  almost  entirely  of  a  low-lying  elevation  of 


28  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


lime-stone.  There  is  very  little  soil,  so  little  that 
in  planting  corn,  holes  in  the  rock  must  be  sought 
out  in  which  to  drop  the  seed.  The  agave  cactus, 
from  the  leaves  of  which  the  strong  fiber  is  ex¬ 
tracted,  thrives,  however,  when  planted  in  small 
excavations  in  this  rock.  The  railroad  from  the 
port  to  Merida  runs  between  the  great  fields  of  the 
agave  plantations.  One  wonders  how  it  is  possible 
for  this  apparently  barren  land  to  produce  any¬ 
thing;  j^et  this  bare  rock  is  the  source  of  the  wealth 
of  Yucatan. 

Merida  is  a  city  of  windmills.  There  may  be 
other  cities  with  as  many  in  proportion  to  their 
size,  but  I  have  never  seen  one.  Apparently  every 
property  owner  having  a  piece  of  land  of  any  size 
possesses  a  windmill.  These  are  all  of  American 
manufacture  and  are  used  for  pumping  up  the 
fresh  underground  water  which  lies  but  a  short 
distance  below  the  surface.  Yucatan  is  without 
surface  rivers.  The  water  percolating  through  the 
porous  rock  forms  underground  streams  that,  all 
over  the  peninsula,  are  a  source  of  water  supply 
for  drinking  and  for  irrigation.  These  rivers  are 
but  a  short  distance  below  the  surface,  and  in 
various  places  there  are  openings  down  to  them. 
At  some  of  the  openings,  steps  are  hewn  in  the 
rock  down  to  the  surface  of  the  water.  These 
open  sink  holes  are  called  cenotes,  and  the  water 
is  inhabited  by  a  species  of  fish  with  but  rudi¬ 
mentary  eyes. 


YUCATAN  AND  CAMPECHE 


29 


Scrupulous  cleanliness  seemed  to  be  the  watch¬ 
word  of  the  Yucatecan  or  Maya  Indian.  The 
Maya  was  one  of  the  civilizations  destroyed  by  the 
Spaniards,  and  the  Maya  Indian  one  of  the  races 
enslaved  by  the  conquerors.  In  spite  of  their  con¬ 
dition  of  serfdom,  in  spite  of  their  enforced  pov¬ 
erty,  and  four  hundred  years  of  oppression,  they 
have  retained  their  language,  many  of  their  cus¬ 
toms,  costumes,  and  habits  of  cleanliness.  The 
Indian  labourer  of  Yucatan  bathes  twice  a  day, 
washes  his  clothes  every  day,  and  on  Sundays  and 
gala  days  always  dresses  in  spotless  white.  Bare¬ 
footed  or  shod  in  sandals,  their  feet  are  as  clean 
as  their  hands.  The  Yucatecos  were  not  slow  in 
showing  their  displeasure  and  disgust  at  the  un¬ 
cleanly  habits  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Constitution¬ 
alist  army,  who  were  mostly  Indians  from  the 
north,  many  of  them  Yaquis.  “  Son  gente  muy 
distinta,”  (“They  are  a  very  different  class  of 
people.”)  was  a  phrase  frequently  repeated  by  the 
Yucatecos  for  my  benefit.  They  did  not  wish  me 
to  make  the  mistake  of  considering  these  other 
Mexicans  as  natives^of  their  beloved  State.  They 
consider  themselves  the  Yankees  of  Mexico. 
Some  loyal  sons  of  the  state  will  go  so  far  as  to 
deny  that  they  are  Mexicans.  “We  are  Yuca¬ 
tecos, ”  they  say. 

There  are,  comparatively  speaking,  very  few 
white  people  in  Yucatan.  At  the  time  of  the  con¬ 
quest  the  land  was  parcelled  out  among  the  con- 


SO  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


querors,  and  the  Indians  living  upon  the  soil  were 
apportioned  with  it.  Since  that  time  until  the  last 
revolution,  the  Indians  had  been  considered  the 
property  of  the  land-owner.  They  were  bought 
and  sold  with  the  land,  were  not  allowed  to  leave 
the  plantation  on  which  they  lived  while  they  were 
in  debt  to  the  owner,  and  he  took  good  care  to  see 
that  they  remained  indebted  to  him. 

In  the  lobby  and  the  dining  room  of  the  hotel 
at  Merida  were  many  of  the  land-owning  class. 
One  peculiarity  which  I  noticed  immediately  was 
that  there  was  no  loud  talking.  The  groups  at  the 
small  tables  spoke  in  voices  that  were  hardly  above 
a  whisper.  A  person  at  the  next  table  could  not 
hear  what  was  being  said.  This  gave  the  impres¬ 
sion,  which  I  learned  afterwards  was  correct,  that 
every  speaker  was  afraid  of  being  heard  outside 
of  his  own  little  group.  These  people,  being  of 
the  wealthy  class,  were  opposed  to  the  revolution, 
but  did  not  care  to  voice  their  opposition  loud 
enough  to  be  heard  by  anyone  sympathising  with 
the  victorious  party. 

I  found  that  the  main  topic  of  conversation  was 
a  decree  that  had  just  been  promulgated  to  the 
effect  that  the  Indians  throughout  the  land  were  to 
be  allowed  their  freedom;  that  henceforth,  in 
Mexico,  no  man’s  body  could  be  held  because  of 
debt.  For  the  first  time  in  four  hundred  years  the 
aboriginal  inhabitants  of  Yucatan,  descendants  of 
the  highly  civilised  Maya  race  whose  land  is  full 


YUCATAN  AND  CAMPECHE 


31 


of  prehistoric  ruins,  could  say  their  souls  were 
their  own.  Among  the  more  intelligent  of  the  In¬ 
dians  there  was  great  rejoicing  because  of  this 
decree.  Owing,  however,  to  a  false  interpreta¬ 
tion,  propagated  by  the  land-owners,  the  decree 
was  misunderstood  by  many.  The  Indians  were 
told  that  they  could  now  no  longer  remain  in  their 
quarters  on  the  plantations,  but  must  seek  lodging, 
food,  and  employment  elsewhere.  In  many  in¬ 
stances  they  were  preparing  to  start  in  companies 
and  by  families  for  the  forest  where  they  would 
surely  have  perished.  The  newly  constituted 
authorities  were  obliged,  therefore,  to  send  out 
men  to  the  plantations  all  over  the  country,  who 
could  speak  the  Maya  language,  to  explain  to  the 
Indians  the  real  meaning  of  the  proclamation. 
Not  only  were  they  not  obliged  to  leave  the  plan¬ 
tations  of  their  former  owners,  but  they  could  not 
be  forced  to  leave.  They  were  free  to  go  and  come 
as  they  pleased,  but  need  not  continue  to  work 
without  wages. 

By  this  prompt  action  a  disaster  was  prevented. 
The  Indians  remained  in  their  homes,  and  there 
occurred  in  Yucatan  that  which  has  happened  in 
other  countries  upon  the  liberation  of  slaves.  The 
land-owners  who  had  been  kind  to  their  peons 
were  besieged  by  applicants  for  work,  while  those 
who  had  been  cruel  were  deserted.  One  gentle¬ 
man  who  felt  free  to  talk  to  me  because  he  was 
not  afraid  to  express  his  opinions  to  an  American, 


32  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


also  because  he  wanted  to  excite  sympathy  for  his 
party  among  Americans,  was  very  severe  in  his 
denunciation  of  this  proclamation  of  liberty  for 
the  peons.  He  said  that  all  his  Indians  had  left 
him  and  that  he  could  not  get  a  man  to  work  on 
the  plantation.  Unwittingly  he  thus  revealed  his 
type  of  character.  I  knew  there  were  other  men 
who  had  more  applicants  for  labour  than  they 
could  possibly  employ. 

Immediately  after  my  arrival  in  Merida,  I  sent 
a  messenger  in  search  of  the  colporteur,  Sr. 
Herrera.  He  came  to  the  hotel  with  a  story  of 
suffering  and  embarrassment  because  of  his  in¬ 
ability  to  get  money  orders  cashed.  He  was 
surprised  and  delighted  to  know  that  I  was  wil¬ 
ling  to  take  up  the  orders  and  give  him  money 
for  them. 

Having  arranged  matters  satisfactorily  with  Sr. 
Herrera,  I  decided  to  leave  the  next  morning,  by 
rail,  for  Campeche,  the  capital  of  the  neighbour¬ 
ing  State  of  the  same  name,  and  the  home  of  an¬ 
other  colporteur.  It  was  an  all  day  journey  by 
slow  train  through  a  hot  and  uninviting  country. 
I  could  not,  however,  get  over  my  first  pleasant 
surprise  at  the  neatness  and  good  taste  of  the  In¬ 
dian  population.  There  were  groups  of  women  at 
every  railway  station  with  lunches  composed  of 
bread,  fruit,  tortillas,  roast  venison,  etc.,  which 
they  offered  for  sale  to  the  passengers.  So  clean 
were  these  women  in  appearance  that  the  idea  of 


YUCATAN  AND  CAMPECHE 


33 


eating  food  prepared  by  their  hands  was  not  in 
the  least  repulsive. 

The  women  of  Yucatan  wear  an  outer  sack-like 
garment  of  one  piece  with  three  holes  in  the  top, 
one  for  the  head  and  another  for  each  arm.  This 
is  usually  prettily  embroidered  and  does  not  come 
down  so  far  but  that  the  broad  lace  border  of  the 
under  garment  shows  below.  The  dress  of  the 
men  consists  of  a  pair  of  light  blue  trousers,  a  knit 
cotton  shirt  drawn  down  over  the  trousers,  and  a 
short  white  apron  extending  from  the  waist  to  the 
knees.  On  Sundays  and  holidays  this  apron  is 
discarded  and  a  better  pair  of  trousers  worn  with 
a  long  white  coat.  Both  men  and  women  are 
either  barefooted  or  sandaled.  All  seemed  to  have 
some  occupation  and  my  first  impressions  of  the 
Yucatecos  were  altogether  favourable.  They  were 
the  cleanest  aborigines  I  had  ever  seen  and  put  to 
shame  many  people  of  European  origin  in  their 
attention  to  personal  cleanliness. 

Although  arriving  at  Campeche  after  dark,  I 
had  no  difficulty  in  inquiring  my  way  to  the  home 
of  Sr.  L.  Blanco,  the  pastor  of  the  local  congre¬ 
gation  and  brother  of  our  colporteur.  Both  of 
these  men  are  full  blood  Indians,  as  were  also  the 
other  pastors  whom  I  met,  with  the  exception  of 
Sr.  E.  Llera,  of  Progreso,  who  was  a  Cuban. 

Pastor  Blanco  welcomed  me  to  his  home,  where 
I  slept  that  night  in  a  hammock  strung  across  the 
room,  as  do  most  Yucatecos.  The  following 


3 4  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


morning  I  visited  the  home  of  our  colporteur  and 
found  his  wife  engaged  in  weaving  a  beautiful 
spacious  hammock  from  the  fiber  of  the  agave. 
Having  made  them  happy  by  changing  their  worth¬ 
less  money  orders  for  gold,  I  returned  the  same 
day  to  Merida. 

The  day  before,  after  I  had  boarded  the  train 
at  Merida,  a  man,  whom  I  supposed  at  the  time  to 
be  a  representative  of  some  local  newspaper,  ap¬ 
proached,  asking  my  name,  nationality,  and  desti¬ 
nation,  all  of  which  he  wrote  in  a  note-book.  See¬ 
ing  that  the  same  man  continued  with  us  on  the 
train,  I  watched  for  an  opportunity  to  question 
him  in  turn.  I  found  him  to  be  the  health  in¬ 
spector  whose  business  it  was  to  examine  all 
strangers  traveling  in  the  country,  and  to  take 
their  temperature. 

“  Why  ?  ”  I  asked. 

“  Oh,  just  a  precaution  against  yellow  fever.” 

“  And  have  you  yellow  fever  now  in  Yucatan?  ” 

“  Yes,  there  are  several  cases.  I  took  a  China¬ 
man  to  the  hospital  this  morning,  whom  we  sus¬ 
pected  to  be  coming  down  with  it.  If  I  find  a 
foreigner  with  half  a  degree  of  fever,  it  is  my 
business  to  take  him  in  charge.” 

“  And  why  foreigners  in  particular  ?  ” 

“  Because  they  alone  are  subject  to  yellow  fever. 
Our  own  people  are  immune.” 

Waiting  with  the  crowd  at  Campeche  for  the 
gates  to  open  to  allow  us  on  board  the  train,  I 


YUCATAN  AND  CAMPECHE 


35 


noticed  another  Health  Inspector  with  a  soiled 
towel  over  one  shoulder,  and  a  thermometer  in  his 
hand,  approaching  some  Syrians  and  taking  their 
temperature.  After  putting  the  thermometer  in 
the  mouth  of  one,  he  would  wipe  it  on  the 
towel  and  approach  another.  Realising  that  he 
would  soon  be  coming  my  way,  I  began  to  figure 
how  to  avoid  taking  the  thermometer  into  my 
mouth. 

Soon  the  Inspector’s  eye  fell  upon  me  and, 
pointing  the  thermometer  at  my  mouth,  he  started 
in  my  direction.  Meanwhile  I  had  begun  to  un¬ 
button  my  shirt  in  front.  Addressing  him  cheer¬ 
fully  I  said,  “  So  you  are  the  gentleman  who  is 
looking  after  the  health  of  us  foreigners?  We 
ought  to  be  grateful  to  you  for  this  trouble.”  I 
then  took  the  thermometer  and  thrust  it  under  my 
left  arm.  He  looked  somewhat  surprised  and, 
after  a  little  hesitation,  said: 

“  That  is  alright.  You  can  take  the  tempera¬ 
ture  under  the  arm.” 

When,  after  due  time,  he  took  the  thermometer 
and  looked  at  it,  he  made  the  remark : 

“You  are  alright.  Your  temperature  is  sub¬ 
normal.” 

I  knew  it  would  be.  Possibly  the  fact  that  I 
put  the  thermometer  rather  far  under  my  arm  had 
something  to  do  with  it.  I  wrote  Mrs.  Jordan  at 
the  time,  however,  that  the  very  thought  of  the 
possibility  of  being  placed  in  an  isolation  ward  in 


36  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


a  Mexican  hospital  in  Campeche  caused  a  fall  in 
my  temperature. 

We  had  not  gone  very  far  on  our  return  trip  to 
Merida  when  our  train  was  held  at  a  station  much 
longer  than  the  usual  time.  Passengers  began  to 
be  impatient.  Inquiry  elicited  the  fact  from  the 
conductor  that  the  train  was  held  by  order  of  the 
governor.  Such  a  thing  was  unusual.  There  had 
been  very  little  disturbance  in  Yucatan;  and  there 
were  loud  protests  against  the  governor  for  delay¬ 
ing  a  train  full  of  passengers  who  had  business  at 
the  other  end  of  their  journey.  Finally,  however, 
one  man  remarked : 

“  Perhaps  there  is  trouble  ahead.  In  that  case  I 
thank  the  governor  for  holding  the  train.”  The 
effect  of  this  remark  was  like  magic.  I  did  not 
hear  another  complaint. 

After  an  hour  or  so  of  delay  the  train  proceeded 
without  any  further  incident,  until  just  before 
coming  into  the  suburbs  of  Merida  a  few  short 
explosions  were  heard;  whether  gun  fire  or  not,  I 
never  learned.  Our  car  was  instantly  in  commo¬ 
tion.  Men  stood  up  in  their  seats  and  removed 
revolvers  from  their  hip  pockets.  Nothing 
further,  however,  occurred;  but  we  entered  the 
city  long  after  the  usual  hour  for  the  arrival  of 
the  train.  The  last  incident  shows  the  condition 
of  uncertainty  and  fear  for  their  lives  in  which 
the  members  of  the  former  ruling  class  of  Mexico 
were  then  living. 


YUCATAN  AND  CAMPECHE 


37 


At  the  time  of  my  first  visit  there  was  no  for¬ 
eign  missionary  in  Yucatan,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  T. 
Molloy  being  at  the  time  in  the  States.  I  was 
asked  to  speak  at  the  Presbyterian  church  in 
Merida,  and  was  much  pleased  to  learn  that  it  was 
an  indigenous  self-supporting  church,  the  pastor 
being  Mr.  Asuncion  Blanco,  brother  of  the  pastor 
in  Campeche,  and  a  Maya  Indian.  It  was  a  pleas¬ 
ure  to  lead  their  Bible  class  in  the  morning  and 
speak  to  a  large  congregation  at  night,  composed, 
in  its  entirety,  of  Indians.  The  organist  was  bare¬ 
foot,  with  the  exception  of  the  sandals  he  wore  to 
keep  the  soles  of  his  feet  from  the  ground.  The 
singing  of  the  Spanish  hymns  was  hearty  and  full 
of  expression. 

In  the  cities  of  Yucatan  Spanish  is  spoken,  as 
well  as  the  native  Maya.  In  the  country  villages 
and  on  the  plantations,  however,  Maya  was  all  that 
was  heard.  Many  white  people  speak  the  Maya 
both  in  their  homes  and  in  daily  intercourse  with 
their  neighbours. 

There  are  not  as  many  women  to  be  seen  on  the 
streets  of  Merida  as  on  the  streets  of  a  town  of  its 
size  in  Cuba  or  Porto  Rico,  and  those  who  are  in 
the  street  do  not  appear  to  be  there  in  order  to 
show  off  their  fine  clothing.  The  first  visit  to 
Mexico  produced  an  ever-increasing  impression 
of  the  seriousness  and  stability  of  the  Mexican 
character. 


Ill 


THROUGH  THE  LAND  OF  THE  AZTECS 


A  DAY  and  a  half  were  required  to  go 
through  the  formalities  connected  with  se¬ 
curing  a  military  passport  for  Vera  Cruz. 
The  day  we  sailed  from  Progreso,  another  vessel 
laden  with  federal  soldiers  sailed  for  Puerto 
Mexico,  from  which  point  they  were  to  be  sent  to 
their  homes.  Their  places  had  been  taken  by  the 
new  Constitutionalist  army  which  was  everywhere 
in  evidence  throughout  Yucatan  and  Campeche. 

Although  the  revolutionary  army  was  composed 
largely  of  ragged,  unwashed  Indians  from  North¬ 
ern  Mexico,  their  spirit  and  attitude  could  but  pro¬ 
duce  a  good  impression.  The  spirit  was  one  of 
progress,  reaching  out  and  fighting  for  liberty  and 
better  things.  Mere  boys,  many  of  them,  it  was 
touching  to  see  the  hero  worship  in  their  eyes  as 
they  regarded  some  of  their  superior  officers. 
One  was  impressed  by  the  atmosphere  of  hopeful¬ 
ness,  enthusiasm,  and  confidence  as  well  as  by  the 
evident  comradeship  between  the  officers  and  men. 

Did  these  soldiers  not  have  reason  to  be  happy? 
They  had  been  successful  in  their  fight,  first 
against  the  dictator  Diaz  on  whose  side  were  all 


38 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  AZTECS 


39 


the  wealthy  land-owners  and  the  clergy;  then, 
against  the  cruel  Huerta?  Had  not  the  day  of 
equal  opportunity  come?  Had  they  not  within  the 
past  few  days  seen  thousands  of  their  Maya  com¬ 
patriots  set  at  liberty?  Had  not  the  day  of  free¬ 
dom  and  equality  for  all  arrived?  Of  course  they 
could  not  hear  the  mutterings  of  the  storm  that 
was  to  come,  in  which  those  who  had  fought  side 
by  side  for  liberty  from  the  oppressors  were  to  be 
divided  into  Villistas,  Zapatistas,  and  Carranzistas 
and  carry  on  for  years  a  fratricidal  strife.  In 
spite  of  this  internal  disorganisation,  however,  the 
people  of  Mexico  were  no  longer  slaves  of  the 
grasping  land-owner,  and  are  today  more  free  than 
ever  before  to  work  out  their  own  destinies. 

Schools  have  been  established  where  the  people 
had  never  been  allowed  to  learn  to  read  before. 
An  ideal  of  the  army  leaders  was  that  every  soldier 
should  know  how  to  read.  Many  a  time  have  I 
passed  the  barracks  where  classes  were  being  held 
and  seen  groups  of  raw,  unlettered  Indians  pain¬ 
fully  spelling  out  words  under  the  direction  of  a 
comrade  who  could  not  read  fluently  himself. 

We  very  frequently  came  in  contact  with  army 
officials  who  seemed  to  have  the  highest  good  of 
their  soldiers  at  heart.  In  August,  1915,  the  mili¬ 
tary  authorities  in  Mexico  City  gave  colporteur 
Luis  Rodriguez  a  letter  of  introduction  permitting 
him  to  visit  the  various  barracks  where  soldiers 
were  quartered,  for  the  distribution  of  the  Bible. 


40  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


The  first  encampment  that  he  visited  was  at  the 
“  Hacienda  del  Cristo,”  near  Mexico  City.  The 
Colonel  in  charge  said  to  him : 

“  This  is  a  remarkable  coincidence.  I  was 
telling  my  officers  just  last  night  that  we  needed  a 
religion.  It  is  impossible  to  make  our  troops 
moral  without  it.  We  may  talk  morality  to  them 
all  we  wish,  but  if  we  have  no  religion,  there  is 
nothing  to  hold  them.  I  am  at  your  service,  sir. 
I  will  call  the  men  together  so  that  you  can  give 
them  books,  and  I  wish  you  would  talk  to  them.” 

The  officer,  Colonel  Leal,  then  ordered  the  bugle 
sounded  to  assemble  the  men  and,  after  a  short 
speech,  introduced  Mr.  Rodriguez.  The  men 
listened  with  intense  interest  while  he  explained 
that  as  representative  of  the  American  Bible  So¬ 
ciety  he  wanted  to  give  each  of  them  a  Gospel  as 
an  indication  of  good  will  on  the  part  of  Evan¬ 
gelical  Christians.  He  then  requested  the  Colonel 
to  have  those  of  the  regiment  who  could  read,  step 
fonvard  and  receive  a  book.  With  pardonable 
pride  and  satisfaction,  Colonel  Leal  informed  him 
that  they  had  a  school  in  the  regiment  and  every 
man  among  them  could  read. 

The  Rev.  F.  F.  Wolfe,  of  Puebla,  gave  some 
Gospels  to  a  sergeant.  In  two  hours7  time  the 
man  returned  with  a  list  of  names  of  twenty  sol¬ 
diers  who  had  asked  him  for  more  Gospels. 
Shortly  after,  Mr.  Wolfe  received  word  from  the 
Colonel  in  charge  requesting  more  books,  saying 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  AZTECS 


41 


that  he  had  found  this  reading  matter  a  great  aid 
to  discipline  among  his  soldiers. 

On  my  second  visit  to  Yucatan,  in  1916,  in  an 
interview  with  General  Alvarado,  he  said : 

“  It  may  seem  strange  to  you  after  our  past 
history  that  we  should  be  giving  such  liberty  to 
Protestant  workers.  The  fact  is,  we  now  have 
religious  liberty  and  welcome  good  people  of  all 
nations  and  cults.  Jews  and  Mohammedans  are 
as  free  to  conduct  worship  in  their  own  manner 
as  Catholics  and  Protestants  so  long  as  they  do  not 
interfere  in  politics. 

“  The  expulsion  of  foreign  priests  was  for  po¬ 
litical  and  not  religious  reasons.  The  recent 
trouble  in  Yucatan  was  fomented,  encouraged,  and 
supported  by  the  priests  who,  together  with  the 
unscrupulous  wealthy  landlords,  are  alone  respon¬ 
sible  for  the  present  ignorance  and  poverty  of  the 
people.  Morally  the  priests  are  rotten,  given  to 
bull  fighting,  drunkenness,  gambling,  and  women, 
turning  their  residences  and  churches  into  harems. 
They  spend  their  time  in  the  churches  with  women 
who,  under  the  pretext  of  going  to  mass  and  con¬ 
fession,  are  made  the  tools  by  which  they  carry 
out  their  nefarious  political  schemes. 

“We  have  abolished  the  terrible  system  of  slav¬ 
ery  that  prevailed  on  the  plantations  in  Yucatan 
and  have  made  the  people  free.  I  have  prohibited 
bull  fighting  and  cock  fighting,  suppressed  gam¬ 
bling,  stopped  the  sale  of  liquor,  and  have  estab- 


42  GLIMPSES  0-F  INDIAN  AMERICA 


lished  schools  all  over  the  country.  We  are  on  the 
threshold  of  a  new  era  of  moral  progress  and 
material  prosperity.  You  are  welcome  to  go  about 
the  country  and  see  and  hear  for  yourself  what  is 
being  done.” 

I  did  go  about  the  country  with  eyes  and  ears 
open  as  the  General  had  suggested.  I  visited  three 
of  the  largest  towns  in  Yucatan  on  Saturday 
nights  during  the  carnival  season,  and  did  not  see 
a  single  intoxicated  person.  I  found  no  resent¬ 
ment  among  the  people  for  this  absolute  prohibi¬ 
tion  of  liquor.  The  new  law  required  that  schools 
be  established  upon  every  plantation  employing  a 
certain  number  of  families.  I  visited  some  of 
these  plantations  and  found  that  the  new  law  had 
gone  into  effect  and  that  every  child  of  school  age 
was  being  provided  for. 

While  the  Mexican  leaders  could  not  carry  out 
their  ideals  because  of  disagreement  among  them¬ 
selves,  the  ideas  of  liberty  and  progress,  advanced 
by  the  revolutions,  remained;  and  ideas,  after  all, 
are  the  only  things  that  move  the  world.  Because 
of  the  dissemination  of  these  ideas  in  the  minds 
of  the  Indians,  from  whom  such  ideas  had  been 
most  assiduously  kept  by  the  governing  classes  and 
the  clergy,  Mexico  is,  today,  one  of  the  most  needy 
and  promising  fields  for  all  kinds  of  evangelistic, 
educational,  and  social  uplift  work. 

The  morning  we  were  to  arrive  at  Vera  Cruz  I 
had  risen  before  daylight  and  gone  on  deck,  hoping 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  AZTECS 


43 


to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  snow-capped  peak  of  Ori¬ 
zaba.  At  first  it  seemed  as  though  I  was  doomed 
to  disappointment.  The  horizon  looked  hazy  and 
no  mountains  were  to  be  seen.  Suddenly,  how¬ 
ever,  just  before  sunrise  there  burst  into  view  a 
white  triangular  spot  which  shone  clearly  through 
the  haze  and  looked  like  a  cloud  reflecting  the 
glory  of  the  rising  sun.  This  was  the  looked-for 
peak.  It  was  some  minutes  before  the  outline  of 
the  surrounding  mountains  became  visible.  Ori¬ 
zaba  alone  could  be  seen,  majestically  reflecting 
from  its  snowy  crown  the  rays  of  the  morning  sun. 

On  our  arrival  at  the  harbour  of  Vera  Cruz, 
which  was  then  in  the  hands  of  the  Americans, 
our  ship  was  boarded  by  the  port  doctor,  who  took 
the  temperature  of  all  the  passengers.  When  we 
asked  him  what  Yucatan  was  being  quarantined 
against,  he  said,  “  smallpox,”  but  did  not  seem  to 
know  of  the  yellow  fever. 

There  were  many  Mexicans  of  the  former  rul¬ 
ing  class  in  Vera  Cruz  glad  to  avail  themselves  of 
the  protection  of  Uncle  Sam.  There  was  not  the 
same  secrecy  manifested  among  the  conversing 
groups  that  there  had  been  in  Yucatan.  Sure  of 
protection  and  emboldened  by  the  fact  that  they 
hoped  soon  to  leave  the  country,  there  was  no 
hesitancy  in  their  denunciation  of  the  constitu¬ 
tional  rabble,  as  they  termed  the  successful  revo¬ 
lutionists.  One  realised,  from  hearing  them  talk, 
that  at  last  the  day  of  the  aborigines  in  Mexico 


44  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


was  coming.  This  revolution  had  not  brought  and 
would  not  bring  Utopia,  but  the  old  peonage  sys¬ 
tem  by  which  the  inhabitants  were  sold  with  the 
land,  or  passed  from  one  land-owner  to  another 
by  a  transfer  of  account,  was  gone  forever.  No 
longer  would  human  beings  be  bought  and  sold 
like  cattle.  In  spite  of  appearances  to  the  contrary, 
Mexico  had  taken  a  long  step  toward  liberty  and 
popular  government. 

The  railway  train  from  Vera  Cruz  to  Mexico 
City  was  crowded.  While  most  first  class  pas¬ 
sengers  were  able  to  obtain  a  seat,  the  second  class 
cars  were  filled  to  the  limit.  Not  only  were  the 
aisles  filled  with  persons  standing  or  sitting  on 
their  baggage,,  but  the  platforms  and  steps  of 
every  coach  were  jammed  full.  There  was  no 
organisation  or  system.  The  jam  at  the  larger 
railway  stations  was  terrific.  The  people  would 
come  and  remain  at  the  station  day  after  day  wait¬ 
ing  for  an  opportunity  to  crowd  through  the  gate 
and  get  on  to  the  train.  Pickpockets  abounded  in 
every  crowd.  Not  only  were  pocket-books  stolen, 
but  all  kinds  of  hand  baggage  would  disappear  if 
one  was  not  careful  to  keep  it  constantly  in  view. 

As  our  train  traversed  the  country  and  climbed 
the  mountain  range  up  to  the  central  tableland  on 
which  Mexico  City  is  located,  I  realised  how  abso¬ 
lutely  disinherited  these  descendants  of  the  Aztecs 
were.  It  was  pathetic  in  the  extreme  and  made 
one’s  blood  boil  to  see  families  of  human  outcasts 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  AZTECS 


45 


crawling  out  of  the  holes  that  served  as  entrances 
to  rude  mud  or  stone  huts  to  gaze  upon  the  pass¬ 
ing  train. 

When  we  reached  the  city  of  Orizaba,  delight¬ 
fully  situated  on  the  slopes  of  the  mountain  of  the 
same  name,  we  were  advised  that  the  train  would 
go  no  farther  that  day.  One  of  the  old  Diaz 
officers,  Hijinio  Aguilar,  had  taken  to  the  moun¬ 
tains  with  a  few  followers,  sent  a  wild-cat  engine 
down  the  mountain,  wrecked  a  train,  and  torn  up 
a  stretch  of  track.  We  could  not  continue  our 
journey  until  the  soldiers  of  the  new  administra¬ 
tion  had  driven  Mr.  Aguilar  and  his  followers 
away,  and  repaired  the  track.  The  train  did  not 
proceed  until  the  following  Monday.  Meanwhile 
I  was  able  to  visit  the  local  congregation,  get  ac¬ 
quainted  with  some  of  the  workers,  and  meet  the 
family  of  a  former  colporteur  whose  son  was  con¬ 
tinuing  the  work  of  Bible  distribution.  Since  the 
hostelries  were  full  and  I  was  unable  to  secure 
hotel  accommodations,  Rev.  Miguel  Rojas,  pastor 
of  the  Methodist  congregation,  very  kindly  allowed 
me  to  make  use  of  a  room  in  the  quarters  of  the 
missionaries,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  F.  F.  Wolfe,  who 
were  away  on  furlough. 

Even  a  stranger  could  see  at  a  glance  that  the 
city  of  Orizaba  was  living  under  a  new  regime, 
and  one  which  the  people  themselves  hardly  under¬ 
stood.  To  one  who  was  accustomed  to  looking 
upon  Mexico  as  a  Roman  Catholic  country,  the 


46  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


condition  was  a  revelation,  proving  conclusively, 
as  it  did,  that  the  papal  rule  was  that  of  fear. 
From  the  very  beginning,  in  Indian  America,  the 
Romish  cult  has  been  an  imposition  from  without, 
never  the  result  of  spontaneous  life  from  within. 
Passing  one  of  the  large  church  buildings,  which 
I  was  told  afterwards  was  the  cathedral,  I  saw  the 
sign  in  Spanish,  “  Commissary  for  mules  and 
horses.”  My  curiosity  prompted  me  to  step 
within.  There,  piled  up  under  a  mural  painting 
of  the  Virgin,  was  a  stack  of  hay  on  which  mules 
were  feeding.  So  thoroughly  had  Rome  identified 
herself  with  the  ruling  classes,  so  completely  had 
she  alienated  herself  from  the  common  people,  that 
the  Mexican  revolutionists  looked  upon  the  hier¬ 
archy  as  their  greatest  enemy,  and  treated  it 
as  such. 

At  the  request  of  Sr.  Rojas,  himself  a  pure 
Mexican,  I  addressed  the  mission  congregation  on 
Sunday.  I  had  noticed  the  timidity  of  the  people 
in  general,  and  their  apparent  lack  of  understand¬ 
ing  and  full  appreciation  of  the  situation,  and,  let¬ 
ting  my  mind  go  back  over  my  own  experiences 
since  landing  in  the  country,  dangers  from  bullets, 
yellow  fever,  smallpox,  railroad  accidents,  etc.,  I 
could  think  of  no  better  message  to  give  the  little 
company  than  that  contained  in  the  ninety-first 
Psalm.  I  pointed  them  to  a  living,  personal,  all- 
powerful  God  who  is  also  a  wise  and  loving 
Father,  who  will  allow  nothing  to  befall  His  chil- 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  AZTECS 


47 


dren  which  is  not  for  their  ultimate  good,  although 
we,  today,  with  our  limited  vision  may  not  be  able 
to  see  the  reasons  for  some  of  the  things  which  He 
allows.  It  was  a  joy  to  be  able,  as  representative 
of  American  Christians,  to  bring  them  this  mes¬ 
sage  from  the  grand  old  Book.  I  have  spoken  to 
many  congregations  in  Mexico  and  other  parts  of 
Indian  America  since  then,  but  never  had  greater 
joy  in  delivering  the  message. 

When  the  train  in  which  I  proceeded  to  Mexico 
City  stopped  at  the  station  of  Maltrata,  just  before 
the  long,  steep  climb  by  which  a  feat  of  modern 
engineering  takes  the  traveler  up  to  the  tableland, 
I  looked  ahead  and  saw  a  crowd  of  Indian  women 
running  as  for  life  towards  the  train.  It  was  my 
first  trip  over  the  road,  unusual  things  had  been 
happening,  and  I  wondered  what  this  might  be. 
Was  the  town  being  attacked,  and  were  the  women 
and  children  fleeing  for  safety  to  the  train?  But, 
no,  as  they  approached  we  could  see  that  every 
woman  had  upon  her  head,  or  in  her  arms,  a  basket 
filled  with  Mexican  delicacies,  food,  and  fruits 
which  they  offered  for  sale  to  the  passengers 
during  the  delay  of  the  train. 

Once  up  on  the  tableland,  a  marked  change  in 
temperature  was  noticed,  and  we  were  glad  that 
we  had  been  forewarned  to  put  on  warm  under¬ 
clothing  before  starting,  and  to  provide  ourselves 
with  an  overcoat. 

As  we  approached  Mexico  City  and  thereafter 


48  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


in  our  journeys  on  the  tableland,  we  were  con¬ 
stantly  reminded  of  what  Mr.  L.  Blanco,  the  Maya 
Indian  pastor  of  Campeche,  had  referred  to  as 
“  the  shame  of  Mexico.”  We  passed  field  after 
field  of  the  “  maguey  ”  plant,  which  is  devoted  to 
the  manufacture  of  “  pulque,”  the  national  intoxi¬ 
cating  drink,  a  vile  concoction  which  is  peculiarly 
debasing  and  degrading  in  its  effects. 

The  “  maguey  ”  is  a  large  cactus  with  spreading 
leaves.  When  it  has  reached  the  right  stage  of 
growth  an  Indian  reaches  through  the  leaves  and 
cuts  out  the  center  of  the  plant  with  a  machete, 
making  a  hollow  or  bowl  into  which  the  sap  oozes. 
To  gather  this  juice,  a  man  with  a  long,  hollow 
stick,  near  the  end  of  which  has  been  fastened  a 
gourd,  reaches  through  the  spiny  leaves,  dips  the 
end  near  the  gourd  into  the  cavity  and,  by  draw¬ 
ing  in  a  long  breath,  sucks  the  juice  up  into  the 
tube  from  which  it  falls,  carried  by  gravity,  into 
the  gourd.  Later  it  is  allowed  to  ferment,  when 
it  is  ready  for  use. 

My  first  stay  in  Mexico  City  was  very  short. 
While  the  Mexican  leaders  were  making  protests 
of  concord  and  amity,  there  were  rumours  of  dis¬ 
cord  and  a  coming  break.  It  was  noticed  through¬ 
out  the  country  that  the  troops  under  the  direction 
of  the  partisans  of  Mr.  Carranza  were  moving 
north,  those  under  Ponchito,  as  Villa  was  famil¬ 
iarly  called,  were  moving  south.  After  making 
arrangements  with  Rev.  J.  P.  Hauser  to  look  after 


THE  LAND  OF  THE  AZTECS 


49 


the  interests  of  the  Bible  Society  temporarily,  it 
seemed  wise  for  me  to  return  to  New  York  by  way 
of  Laredo,  Texas,  before  the  storm  should  burst 
and  railway  communications  be  severed. 

I  pushed  my  way  through  another  surging, 
jostling  crowd  at  the  entrance  of  the  railway  sta¬ 
tion  in  Mexico  City  to  the  ticket  window  and 
through  the  gate.  Here  my  hand  baggage  was 
thoroughly  examined  and  an  official,  placing  his 
hands  under  my  arm,  passed  them  down  my  sides 
and  around  my  hips,  saying: 

“  Pardon  me,  but  I  must  search  you  for  arms.” 

I  submitted  smilingly  and  tried  to  be  sociable. 
As  I  passed  on,  having  offered  no  objection  to  the 
searching  of  my  baggage  or  person,  he  said: 

"  Thank  you,  I  wish  you  a  safe  journey.” 

The  train  left  the  city  about  nine  P.  M.,  with  no 
Pullman  or  chair  car.  Even  the  first  class  coaches 
here  were  crowded  to  capacity  so  that  during  the 
first  part  of  the  night  I  was  unable  to  secure  a  seat, 
but  later  shared  one  with  two  other  men.  We 
continued  thus,  uncomfortably  squeezed  together, 
throughout  all  the  following  day.  At  nightfall  we 
reached  San  Luis  Potosi,  where  many  passengers 
left  the  train.  I  tried  to  get  a  little  sleep  in  my 
seat  during  the  respite,  but  was  suddenly  wakened 
by  an  army  officer,  who  asked  various  questions, 
where  I  came  from,  where  I  was  going,  what  my 
business  was,  etc.  After  this  he  went  over  my 
person  and  through  my  baggage  in  search  of  con- 


50 


GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


cealed  weapons  or  gold  currency  which  it  was  Un¬ 
lawful  to  take  out  of  the  country.  Not  finding  any 
arms  or  contraband  and  learning  my  mission  to 
Mexico,  he  assumed  a  friendly  manner  and  wished 
me  a  safe  journey. 

The  remainder  of  the  trip  was  without  incident. 
Impressions  remain  of  train  loads  of  Indian  sol¬ 
diers  with  their  women  and  cooking  utensils 
packed  within,  around,  and  on  top  of  box  cars,  of 
burned  railway  stations,  of  trenches  where  engage¬ 
ments  had  been  fought,  and  where  the  carcasses 
of  horses  still  lay  drying  up  in  the  hot  sun,  of  heat, 
dust,  and  thirst  suffered  in  company  with  fellow- 
Mexican  travelers  who  unfailingly  responded  to 
any  attempt  at  comradeship. 

I  arrived  at  Laredo,  Texas,  completely  ex¬ 
hausted,  on  what  proved  to  be  the  last  through 
train  for  some  time  from  Mexico  City  across  the 
Rio  Grande.  My  personal  associations  during  the 
years  that  followed  have  made  me  feel  sure  that  if 
we  would  only  make  the  effort  to  know  our  south¬ 
ern  neighbours  better,  the  response  would  be  im¬ 
mediate,  and  such  an  international  friendship 
would  result  as  would  go  far  toward  insuring 
world-peace,  and  result  in  untold  material  and 
moral  benefit  to  all  concerned. 


IV 


MISCONCEPTIONS  CORRECTED 


I  ACQUIRED  on  my  first  visit  a  very  favour¬ 
able  impression  of  the  Mexican  character,  an 
impression  which  has  been  intensified  with 
the  years.  During  my  travels  in  and  through  the 
land  of  our  southern  neighbours,  I  heard  of  many 
cruel  and  unjustifiable  acts,  but  when  I  think  of 
what  was  going  on  in  Europe  at  the  same  time  I 
do  not  feel  like  throwing  stones  at  Mexico.  We 
must  remember  that  probably  not  two  percent  of 
the  population  was  responsible  for  the  turmoil,  or 
took  any  active  part  in  it.  The  great  mass  of  the 
population  is  industrious  and  peace-loving.  The 
common  people  desire  nothing  more  ardently  than 
a  little  land  to  cultivate  and  the  right  to  earn,  un¬ 
disturbed,  their  own  living.  It  is  hard  to  under¬ 
stand  a  common  misconception  of  the  Mexican 
character. 

“  But  aren’t  they  a  treacherous  lot?  ”  I  am  fre¬ 
quently  asked.  I  felt  as  safe  from  harm  from  my 
fellows  in  Yucatan,  Campeche,  Vera  Cruz,  Ori¬ 
zaba,  and  even  Mexico  City  as  on  the  streets  of 
New  York  and  London.  There  never  was  a  people 
more  friendly  disposed,  more  considerate,  more 

51 


52  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


willing  to  go  out  of  their  way  to  do  one  a  favour 
than  the  Mexican  whom,  unfortunately,  we  have 
identified  with  a  few  bandit  outlaws.  This  con¬ 
ception  reminds  me  of  the  Swiss  peasant  woman 
who  once  said  to  me : 

“  America  must  be  a  terrible  country,  for  when¬ 
ever  any  one  commits  a  crime  here  he  tries  to  get 
to  America.  You  must  have  nothing  but  criminals 
over  there.” 

I  spent  the  Easter  Holiday  season  of  1916  in  the 
town  of  Muna,  Yucatan.  The  streets  were  filled 
with  men,  women,  and  children,  clothed  in  im¬ 
maculate  white,  celebrating  what  is  to  them  the 
greatest  feast  of  the  year  with  music,  dancing,  and 
the  farcical  trial  and  execution  of  the  king  of  the 
carnival.  There  was  absolutely  no  disorder  or 
drunkenness,  no  pocket-picking  nor  petty  thiev¬ 
ing.  There  were  hundreds  of  people  crowding  the 
street  and  plaza.  The  attitude  of  the  crowd  was 
more  like  that  of  a  Sunday  School  picnic  or  some 
other  religious  gathering  in  the  States  than  the 
celebration  of  a  carnival.  There  was  no  rudeness, 
no  loud  talking,  no  rough  jostling.  Young  women 
moved  about,  singly  and  together,  through  the 
crowd.  I  did  not  see  one  rude  stare  or  glance  nor 
hear  a  single  improper  remark  of  the  kind  so  com¬ 
mon  among  the  young  men  in  many  Spanish¬ 
speaking  countries.  There  seemed  to  be  an  innate 
refinement  about  the  people  such  as  I  had  not  seen 
among  the  same  class  elsewhere.  The  very  sug- 


MISCONCEPTIONS  CORRECTED 


53 


gestion  of  fear  for  one's  personal  safety  among 
such  a  people  provokes  a  smile. 

On  March  the  9th,  1916,  after  spending  the 
preceding  night  in  the  town  of  Ticul,  Yucatan,  I 
was  on  my  way  to  the  station  to  take  the  train  for 
Merida.  I  was  walking  alone,  carrying  my  hand¬ 
bag  and  not  paying  particular  attention  to  the  route 
I  was  taking.  I  took  the  street  along  which  there 
seemed  to  be  the  most  traffic,  supposing  it  to  be 
the  one  leading  to  the  depot.  There  were  several 
school  children  walking  in  the  same  direction. 
After  I  had  passed  the  corner  where  I  should  have 
turned,  a  little  girl  of  seven  or  eight  walked  along 
by  my  side  and  asked  very  modestly  where  I 
wanted  to  go. 

“  To  the  station,"  I  replied. 

“  The  other  street  leads  to  the  station,"  said  she. 
The  act  was  so  unusual  and  so  nicely  done  that  it 
impressed  itself  on  my  mind  at  the  time,  but  I 
have  since  found  this  attitude  of  kindliness  to  be 
characteristic  of  the  people. 

Another  question  that  is  frequently  asked  is, 
“But  are  they  not  very  fanatical  Romanists?" 
This  also  is  a  misconception.  I  have  already  told 
of  the  use  of  the  Cathedral  in  Orizaba  as  a  com¬ 
missary  for  mules  and  horses.  In  Yucatan,  after 
the  triumph  of  the  revolutionists,  one  church  was 
given  to  the  Masons  on  condition  that  they  re¬ 
model  the  front  so  that  it  would  not  look  like  a 
church.  The  church  at  Progreso  was  put  to  use 


54  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


as  a  storehouse  for  the  confiscated  liquors  of  the 
port.  In  other  places  churches  were  given  to 
various  organizations,  the  one  opposite  my 
hotel  in  Merida  was  assigned  to  the  Students’ 
League  of  Yucatan,  and  one  in  Muna  to  a  labour 
organisation. 

The  labour  organisation  held  its  meeting  the  day 
I  was  in  Muna.  Taking  advantage  of  the  fact 
that  the  building  wras  open,  I  went  in  and  saw  in 
the  two  small  rooms  back  of  the  altar  a  quantity 
of  paraphernalia  of  Romish  worship,  some  vest¬ 
ments,  a  large  image  of  the  Virgin,  a  wooden 
Christ  on  the  cross,  other  images,  a  box  full  of 
documents,  etc.,  etc.,  all  heaped  in  the  greatest  dis¬ 
order.  So  heavy  had  been  the  hand  of  Rom&  and 
so  little  respect  had  the  priests  inspired,  that  as 
soon  as  the  people  realised  that  the  hierarchy  was 
in  disfavour  with  the  government,  they  lost  no 
opportunity  to  show  their  enmity  by  sacking 
the  churches  and  destroying  the  so-called  sacred 
objects. 

Many  years  ago  an  Indian  came  to  the  Bishop 
of  Yucatan  and  told  him  that  he  had  seen  a  light 
in  a  certain  cedar  tree.  The  bishop  laughed  and 
told  the  Indian  he  must  be  mistaken.  The  Indian 
returned  the  next  night  with  the  same  story  and 
was  so  earnest  and  insistent  that  the  bishop  him¬ 
self  went  to  see.  Sure  enough,  there  was  a  light 
in  the  tree.  The  bishop  had  the  tree  cut  down  and 
the  wood  brought  to  his  house.  Shortly  after,  a 


MISCONCEPTIONS  CORRECTED 


55 


stranger  called,  asking  for  work,  saying  that  he 
was  a  carpenter.  The  carpenter  was  shut  up  in  a 
room  with  the  wood  of  the  tree  for  the  night. 
When  the  door  was  opened  the  following  day,  both 
the  tree  and  the  strange  carpenter  had  disappeared. 
In  their  stead  was  an  image  of  the  Christ  miracu¬ 
lously  suspended  in  the  air. 

The  image  was  installed  with  due  ceremony  in 
the  church  and  became  an  object  of  adoration  to 
which  pilgrimages  were  made  from  the  country 
around.  In  the  process  of  time  the  church  was 
burned;  and,  while  all  the  other  images  and  ob¬ 
jects  of  worship  were  destroyed,  the  only  harm 
that  occurred  to  this  miraculously-formed  image 
was  a  few  blisters  raised  on  the  surface  by  the 
heat  of  the  fire.  The  object  of  such  a  miracle 
surely  deserved  a  place  in  the  cathedral  in  Merida, 
whither  it  was  carried  to  be  worshipped  hereafter 
under  the  name  of  the  “  Christ  of  the  Blisters.” 

Hearing  that  the  clergy  were  about  to  attempt 
to  form  another  procession  in  honour  of  this 
image,  the  working  class  of  Merida  gathered  in 
front  of  the  cathedral  where  they  were  addressed 
by  a  leader  who,  after  reminding  them  of  the  cen¬ 
turies  during  which  they  had  been  hoodwinked  and 
deceived  by  Rome,  said,  referring  to  an  act  of  the 
inquisition  in  Yucatan  during  colonial  days: 

“If  Monk  Diego  Deland  celebrated  an  auto- 
da-fe  in  Mani  with  idols  and  monuments  of  the 
Indian,  I,  D.  R - ,  request  that  an  auto-da-fe  be 


56  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


now  celebrated  in  the  Plaza  of  Merida  with  the 
black  idol  of  the  blisters.  Enough  of  words!  To 
the  work !  !  ” 

The  crowd  started  for  the  cathedral,  entered, 
and  stripped  it.  Piling  the  images  on  the  floor, 
they  set  fire  to  them  within  the  building  itself  in 
order  not  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  authorities. 
The  miraculous  image  was  placed  on  one  of  the 
fires.  Lo  and  behold,  though  it  became  sooty  with 
the  smoke,  it  would  not  burn!  An  arm  was 
broken  off  and  it  was  seen  to  be  a  plaster  cast !  ! 

At  the  time  of  my  visit,  all  children  were  un¬ 
baptised,  all  marriages  were  before  the  civil  magis¬ 
trate,  the  dead  were  buried  without  any  religious 
ceremony.  Yet  so  oppressive  had  been  the  rule  of 
the  clergy  that  the  general  feeling  of  the  common 
people  was  one  of  relief.  These  things  certainly 
do  not  indicate  that  the  Indians  of  Mexico  are 
fanatical  Roman  Catholics,  in  fact  the  contrary  i9 
the  case,  not  only  in  Mexico,  but  throughout 
Indian  America. 

The  fanatical  Romanists  are  the  Roman  land- 
owners  and  the  clergy,  who  do  not  want  anything 
to  come  into  the  country  that  will  make  for  the 
uplift  of  the  Indian  or  that  will  in  any  way  help  to 
liberate  him  from  their  toils.  Priests  blessed  the 
arms  and  acts  of  Cortez.  A  priest  was  the  partner 
of  Pizarro  in  the  iniquitous  plans  to  steal  the  gold 
of  the  Incas  and  murder  its  owners.  The  treacher¬ 
ous  capture  of  the  Inca  King  and  his  base  murder 


MISCONCEPTIONS  CORRECTED 


57 


later,  had  the  blessing  of  the  church.  The  church 
received  its  share  of  land  and  Indians  and  has  con¬ 
tinued  to  exploit  the  latter  ever  since.  It  has,  also, 
from  the  beginning,  with  a  few  honourable  excep¬ 
tions,  taken  the  side  of  the  powerful  against  the 
weak.  In  four  hundred  years  of  contact,  Rome  has 
done  absolutely  nothing  to  elevate  the  Indian,  but 
has  preached  to  him  constantly  that  the  way  to 
serve  God  was  to  remain  in  subjection  to  the  land- 
owners  and  pay  money  to  the  priests  for  masses, 
prayers,  baptisms,  burials,  etc.,  etc.  In  Yucatan, 
the  landlords  were  in  the  habit  of  setting  apart 
one  room  in  their  spacious  residences  as  a  chapel 
where  the  priests,  aided  by  the  command  of  the 
proprietor,  could  gather  the  Indians  together  and 
exhort  them  to  be  faithful.  These  successors  of 
the  conquerors  are  the  fanatics  who  were  inter¬ 
ested  in  keeping  the  Bible  out  of  Mexico  and  are 
still  interested  in  keeping  it  out  of  other  parts  of 
Indigenous  America.  When  Mexico  had  expelled 
the  foreign  priests  from  the  country  and  when  the 
landed  proprietors  went  into  hiding  or  exile, 
fanaticism  disappeared.  Fanaticism  is  not  among 
the  faults  of  the  Mexican  Indian  nor,  according  to 
my  experience,  of  any  of  the  aborigines  of  the 
Western  continent.  It  will  be  found  that,  in 
almost  every  case  where  apparent  acts  of  fanati¬ 
cism  are  committed,  the  priests,  backed  by  the  land- 
owners  who  do  not  want  the  Indian  instructed,  are 
the  cause.  I  have  found  this  to  be  true  in  every 


88  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


case  that  has  come  to  my  attention.  Whatever 
else  the  Indian  may  be  or  may  not  be,  he  is  not 
fanatical. 

The  Indian  does,  however,  throw  up  between 
himself  and  the  white  man  a  wall  of  reserve  which 
it  is  at  times  difficult  to  penetrate.  He  has  very 
good  reasons  for  his  reserve  and  suspicion.  Has 
he  not  been  deceived,  cheated,  robbed,  and  un¬ 
mercifully  ill-treated  and  beaten  by  the  representa¬ 
tives  of  Christianity,  until  he  can  no  longer  say 
that  his  lands,  his  animals,  his  wife  or  children,  or 
even  his  soul,  are  his  own,  if  a  white  man  chooses 
to  covet  any  one  of  them?  No  wonder  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  has  little  or  no  effect. 
The  Indian  has  learned  to  set  little  store  by  the 
words  of  the  white  man.  Acts  of  love  and  kind¬ 
ness,  however,  he  can  understand,  the  love  of 
Christ  interpreted  into  deeds  rather  than  words. 
Disinterested  care  for  his  suffering  body,  work 
for  the  welfare  and  education  of  his  children,  and 
even  an  interest  in  his  poor  and  meager  crops,  a 
suggestion  as  to  how  he  can  get  more  out  of 
the  soil,  or  improve  the  wool-bearing  quality  of 
his  scrub  sheep:  all  of  these  things  indicate  an 
unselfish  interest,  and  are  a  help  toward  break¬ 
ing  down  the  almost  impenetrable  barrier  of 
reserve  in  which  he  has  been  driven  to  enclose 
himself.  In  his  battle  for  life  the  Indian,  of 
all  the  region  from  the  Mexican  border  to 
Chile,  is  absolutely  without  the  aid  of  modern 


MISCONCEPTIONS  CORRECTED 


59 


scientific  medicine.  No  other  one  thing  so 
breaks  down  his  prejudices  as  does  sympathy 
and  help  for  his  suffering  body  in  the  mission  of 
healing. 

In  these  times  of  uncertainty,  disorganisation, 
and  unrest,  the  whole  world  is  looking  and  hoping 
for  better  things.  This  feeling  of  unrest  and  de¬ 
sire  to  improve  their  condition  has  reached  the 
Indians  also.  In  Mexico,  I  found  the  Protestant 
services  well  attended  everywhere.  From  El  Paso 
to  Laredo  along  the  Mexican  border  and  in  all  the 
intervening  towns  between  these  two  places  and 
Mexico  City  as  well  as  in  Vera  Cruz,  Tampico, 
and  Yucatan,  full  congregations  listened,  and  still 
listen,  to  the  Gospel.  This  hopefulness  for  better 
things,  this  desire  to  find  some  solution  for  the 
settlement  of  their  economic,  social,  and  spiritual 
problems,  does  not  end  with  Mexico.  It  is  present 
from  El  Paso  to  Cape  Horn,  more  intensified  in 
some  places  than  in  others,  but  still  manifest  to  a 
greater  or  less  degree  wherever  the  Indian  is  to 
be  found. 

There  seems  to  be  a  pretty  general  feeling  in 
these  countries  that  in  education  lies  the  remedy 
for  all  their  ills.  There  is  a  greatly  increased  de¬ 
sire  to  learn  to  read.  Parents  everywhere  wish 
their  children  to  have  an  education.  Not  only  is 
there  need  for  us  to  help  with  primary  schools,  but 
we  must  help  them  with  a  supply  of  all  kinds  of 
helpful,  uplifting,  inspirational  literature  in  the 


60  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


Spanish  language.  At  present  there  is  very  little 
uplifting  literature  available.  Much  of  that  in 
circulation  is  of  a  most  debasing  character.  That 
good  literature  will  be  received  is  evidenced  by  the 
fact  that  tens  of  thousands  of  Gospels  are  being 
disposed  of  every  year  by  sale,  by  the  American 
Bible  Society,  yet  the  funds  available  for  this  work 
do  not  enable  it  to  satisfactorily  cover  one-third  of 
the  territory.  Ten  thousand  Bibles  and  portions 
of  the  Bible  were  sold  in  the  city  of  Monterrey, 
Mexico,  in  191 6, —one  book  to  every  eight  per¬ 
sons, — and  in  Mexico  City  the  same  year  50,000 
books  were  sold  in  a  house  to  house  canvass.  Not 
only  in  the  cities  but  throughout  the  country  there 
is  a  ready  disposition  to  buy  books,  not  so  much 
because  they  are  Bibles,  but  because  they  are 
reading  matter. 

In  Mexico  are  to  be  found  many  very  gratifying 
results  of  the  work  of  Bible  distribution  as  a 
pioneer  missionary  service.  Rev.  Garza  Mora,  a 
Southern  Presbyterian  minister  of  the  Monterrey 
district,  was  converted  through  the  reading  of  a 
Bible  given  his  mother  by  a  captain  of  the  Ameri¬ 
can  army  during  the  war  with  Mexico.  Some 
United  States  army  officers  of  the  expedition  to 
Mexico  called  at  his  mother’s  plantation  for  food. 
She  did  not  understand  English,  nor  they  Spanish ; 
but  they  were  able  to  make  her  understand  by  signs 
what  they  wanted.  She  ordered  prepared  for  them 
eggs  and  tortillas  for  which  they  offered  to  pay. 


MISCONCEPTIONS  CORRECTED 


61 


She  would  accept  no  money.  One  of  the  officers 
then  went  to  his  saddle-bags,  took  out  and  gave 
her  a  Spanish  Bible.  When  the  officers  had  de¬ 
parted  she  began  to  read  the  Bible  and  became  in¬ 
tensely  interested.  She  decided  that  this  book  was 
the  Word  of  God,  and  that  she  would  follow  its 
teachings. 

Learning  that  it  was  wrong  to  worship  idols  she 
took  down  all  of  the  many  pictures  and  images  of 
the  saints,  etc.,  that  she  had  in  the  home,  dug  a 
hole  in  the  ground  and  buried  them  in  order  to 
put  them  out  of  the  way  so  that  no  one  else  would 
be  tempted  to  worship  them.  Her  mother,  grand¬ 
mother  of  Mr.  Mora,  becoming  alarmed  at  the 
way  the  book  was  affecting  her  daughter’s  mind, 
secretly  obtained  possession  of  it,  took  it  to  a 
priest,  and  together  they  burned  it,  in  order  to 
break  the  spell  it  had  wToven  about  the  daughter. 
The  mother  of  Mr.  Mora,  however,  had  learned 
that  the  officer  had  located  in  Brownsville,  Texas. 
She  went  to  him  and  told  him  of  her  loss.  He 
secured  another  Spanish  Bible  for  her  from  New 
York.  Mr.  Mora  was  quite  young  at  the  time. 
His  mother  began  to  read  Bible  stories  to  him, 
and  she  read  them  over  and  over  to  all  the  children. 
As  a  result,  when  missionaries  finally  came  to  that 
section,  that  Bible  had  prepared  the  way,  and  it 
became  the  means  of  the  conversion  of  several  who 
afterwards  became  members  of  the  church.  I  am 
told  that  that  particular  Bible  is  now  in  the  museum 


62  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


of  the  Presbyterian  Mission  Board  room  in  New 
York  City. 

When  in  Yucatan,  I  became  acquainted  with 
three  very  earnest  mission  workers,  Don  Liborio 
Blanco  and  his  two  brothers,  one  pastor  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  in  Merida,  the  other  a  candi¬ 
date  for  the  ministry.  Don  Liborio  told  me  the 
story  of  his  conversion,  while  I  was  resting  in 
Muna  after  a  trip  to  the  prehistoric  ruins  of 
Uxmal.  A  colporteur  of  the  American  Bible  So¬ 
ciety  had  visited  the  school  where  he  was  learning 
to  read.  This  man  was  interested  in  the  Indian 
children  and  offered  a  Testament  to  the  best 
reader  in  the  beginners’  class  of  Indian  boys. 
Little  Liborio  secured  the  prize,  which  he  took 
home  to  his  mother. 

The  mother,  not  sure  whether  or  not  the  boy 
ought  to  read  the  book,  asked  advice  of  the  local 
priest.  He  told  her  it  should  be  destroyed.  In¬ 
stead  of  destroying  the  book,  the  boy  hid  it  under 
the  rafters  of  the  house.  He  had  almost  forgotten 
about  it,  when,  some  years  later,  working  as  an 
apprentice  in  a  shoe  factory,  he  made  the  acquaint¬ 
ance  of  a  converted  fellow-worker.  Noting  how 
very  different  was  the  life  of  this  professing 
Christian  from  that  of  the  other  workers  in  the 
shop,  he  asked  him  questions  about  his  religion. 
The  fellow-workman  told  him  that  he  could  learn 
all  about  the  true  religion  in  the  New  Testament. 

Going  home,  young  Liborio  looked  up  the  for- 


MISCONCEPTIONS  CORRECTED 


63 


gotten  book  and  began  to  read  it.  At  first  he  could 
understand  very  little  of  what  he  read.  The  book 
was  printed  in  Spanish,  his  own  language  was  the 
Maya.  While  he  had  been  to  school  a  little,  he  did 
not  know  Spanish  very  well.  Everything  seemed 
dark  to  him,  yet  there  came  glimpses  of  light  that 
made  him  wish  to  understand  the  book  better. 
Ignorant  boy  though  he  was,  he  laid  the  book 
before  the  Lord  and  prayed. 

“  Lord,  Thou  knowest  my  ignorance.  Some 
people  tell  me  this  is  a  bad  book,  others  say  that 
it  is  good.  I  do  not  know.  If  it  is  a  bad  book,  I 
do  not  want  to  understand  it,  but  if  it  is  a  good 
book,  grant  that  I  may  understand  it  better  and 
better.” 

His  prayer  was  answered  and,  as  the  result  of 
the  reading  of  that  Testament,  he  and  other  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  family  were  converted.  Three  of  them, 
at  least,  have  come  to  consecrate  their  lives  to  the 
extension  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  the  hearts  of 
their  fellow-countrymen. 

In  the  early  sixties,  Mr.  T.  M.  Westrup  took  a 
trip  through  the  state  of  Durango,  Mexico,  preach¬ 
ing  in  the  centers  of  population  and  distributing 
Bibles  everywhere.  He  left  a  Bible  with  an  old 
herdsman,  who  treasured  it  as  long  as  he  lived,  and 
when  dying,  left  it  to  his  daughter,  requesting  her 
to  read  it,  care  for  it,  and  follow  its  teachings. 
The  daughter  married,  and  she,  her  husband,  and 
children,  considered  the  Book  their  most  precious 


64  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


treasure.  It  alone  guided  them  to  Christ.  The 
family  were  baptised  by  the  Rev.  Frank  Marrs, 
and  became  the  nucleus  of  a  Baptist  church  which 
has  produced  several  pastors,  among  them  the  Rev. 
Francisco  Soria,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  of 
Durango  City,  who  walked  seventy  miles  to  be 
baptised  by  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Benson. 

The  instances  recorded  in  this  chapter  are  surely 
sufficient  to  prove  that  not  only  is  the  Mexican 
kindly  disposed  and  not  fanatical,  but  that  he  is 
accessible  and  responsive  to  evangelistic  effort. 
The  Indian  races  to  the  south  of  us  present  a  fruit¬ 
ful  field  for  Christian  endeavour,  an  undeveloped 
source  of  spiritual  wealth,  vast  mines  of  diamonds 
in  the  rough  to  be  gathered  for  the  Master’s 
crown,  an  almost  virgin  field  for  spiritual  con¬ 
quest  that  challenges  the  metal  of  modern  Chris¬ 
tian  Knighthood. 


V 


IN  AND  AROUND  THE  AZTEC  CAPITAL 

WHEN  living  in  Mexico  City,  it  became 
necessary  for  us  to  employ  a  woman  as 
servant  in  the  house,  as  well  as  a  man  to 
cultivate  the  large  garden  and  to  have  general 
oversight  of  the  grounds.  A  boy  and  girl,  brother 
and  sister,  from  Xochitenco,  a  village  located  on 
the  side  of  Lake  Texcoco  opposite  Mexico  City, 
were  recommended  by  a  friend  to  come  to  us. 
The  girl  had  never  been  in  the  city  before,  and 
knew  absolutely  nothing  of  civilised  housekeeping. 
She  sat  on  the  floor  to  clean  the  vegetables  and 
threw  the  peelings  dowm  in  front  of  her  instead 
of  putting  them  into  the  pan  or  sink.  Mrs. 
Jordan  was  beginning  to  wonder  if  she  could  pos¬ 
sibly  undertake  the  training  of  one  so  ignorant, 
when,  at  the  close  of  the  first  day,  the  girl  and  her 
brother  came  to  the  conclusion  that  Mexico  City 
was  too  “  sad  and  lonesome  ”  for  them  and  they 
must  return  to  their  village  home.  Mrs.  Jordan 
dreaded  taking  another  ignorant  country  girl  on 
trial.  It  became  imperative,  however,  for  her  to 
hire  someone.  I  also  needed  a  man  to  work  the 
wartime  garden,  hence  w^e  decided  to  try  again. 

65 


66  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


The  same  friend  who  had  sent  the  first  couple 
sent  us  another  brother  and  sister. 

Aurelia  and  Maicimino  Garcia  were  Indian  in 
feature  and  dress,  retiring  and  taciturn,  their  ap¬ 
pearance  was  not  at  all  prepossessing.  I  found 
my  task  with  the  boy  quite  simple.  He  enjoyed 
cultivating  the  soil,  was  much  pleased  with  the 
American  tools;  and  I  let  him  have  pretty  nearly 
his  own  way  with  the  garden.  He  was  anxious  to 
learn  all  about  the  new  plants  we  were  trying  to 
introduce  and,  from  time  to  time,  asked  for  seeds 
and  plants  to  take  back  to  his  own  village  for  his 
father  to  grow  on  their  little  farm. 

Mrs.  Jordan’s  task  with  the  girl,  however,  was 
quite  different.  Aurelia  was  absolutely  ignorant 
of  each  and  every  duty  she  was  called  upon  to 
perform.  Many  times  during  the  first  few  weeks 
Mrs.  Jordan  would  say: 

“  I  do  not  know  what  to  make  of  the  girl.  She 
does  not  talk ;  she  seems  willing  and  I  think  she  is 
trying  to  please,  but  I  cannot  tell  whether  she  is 
pleased  or  not,  or  what  she  is  thinking  about,  and 
she  is,  Oh !  so  slow !  ” 

After  the  first  week,  the  mother  came  bringing 
the  children  changes  of  clothing.  At  the  same 
time,  she  brought  a  basket  of  native  fruits  for  us. 
She  was  a  tall,  thin,  serious,  and  purposeful- 
looking  woman.  She  remained  for  the  night  with 
her  children.  Before  leaving  the  next  morning, 
she  said  to  us  that  she  hoped  we  were  pleased  with 


AROUND  THE  AZTEC  CAPITAL 


67 


the  children  for  they  were  happy  and  wanted  to 
stay  with  us.  Thus  began  a  long  and  most  pleas¬ 
ant  relationship.  One  of  the  parents  would  come 
every  second  week  bringing  a  change  of  clothing 
for  the  children  and  taking  back  the  soiled  clothes 
for  mending  and  washing.  On  these  visits  they 
never  omitted  bringing  us  a  basket  of  country 
products.  At  one  time  it  would  be  figs,  at  another 
zapotes — the  sweet  fruit  of  the  tree  from  the  sap 
of  which  the  chicle  for  the  chewing  gum  of  com¬ 
merce  is  extracted.  Sometimes  they  would  bring 
butter  and  milk  or  a  brace  of  wild  fowl.  Mrs. 
Jordan  did  not  allow  the  parents  to  return  empty- 
handed,  but  would  always  put  something  in  the 
basket  to  be  taken  back  home  by  them,  generally 
a  cake  or  a  loaf  of  bread,  of  which  the  mother  was 
specially  proud  after  Aurelia  had  learned  to  bake. 
I  think,  however,  if  the  food  value  of  the  things 
given  were  taken  into  account,  we  would  unques¬ 
tionably  remain  in  their  debt. 

Once,  in  honour  of  the  birthday  of  Aurelia, 
the  mother  and  another  sister  came  bringing  with 
them  a  large  turkey,  together  with  all  the  articles 
necessary  for  preparing  it  in  true  Mexican  style, 
and  asked  the  privilege  of  preparing  it  for  us.  As 
a  special  treat  they  prepared  the  turkey  with  a 
sauce,  called  “  mole ”  very  highly  seasoned  with 
red  pepper  and  other  condiments.  I  did  not  realise 
how  strongly  peppered  the  dish  was  and  served 
the  children  quite  liberally  with  the  attractive- 


68  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


looking  sauce.  Our  youngest,  David  Carey,  was 
the  first  to  taste  it.  Taking  a  mouthful,  he  was 
surprised,  shocked,  and  terrified  at  the  painful 
effect  of  the  delicate  morsel  he  had  been  so  long 
anticipating  and  raised  a  howl  that  was  heard  all 
over  the  house.  The  sound  reached  the  kitchen 
where  the  mother  and  sister  were.  We  were  em¬ 
barrassed,  since  we  wished  them  to  feel  that  we 
appreciated  their  efforts  to  give  us  pleasure.  We 
were  glad  to  see,  however,  that  their  keen  sense  of 
humour  led  them  to  appreciate  the  situation.  They 
burst  out  laughing,  and  will  long  remember  and 
laugh  over  the  incident.  The  rest  of  the  family 
were  more  careful,  and  we  really  did  enjoy  the 
turkey.  We  prized  most  of  all,  however,  the  spirit 
that  had  prompted  its  preparation,  showing,  as  it 
did,  that  we  had  a  place  in  the  hearts  of  those  with 
whom  we  were  having  our  most  intimate  dealings, 
and  whom  we  were  learning  to  love  and  appreciate. 

The  Garcias  were  insistent  in  pressing  us  to 
come  with  our  children  and  spend  a  day  in  their 
home  where  they  entertained  us  more  than  once 
with  hearty  hospitality.  The  mother  with  the 
assistance  of  another  daughter  prepared  Mexican 
delicacies  for  the  table  and  did  not  conceal  her 
delight  to  find  that  we  enjoyed  them.  The  father 
laid  aside  his  ordinary  occupations  in  order  to 
show  us  what  to  them  were  commonplace  enough, 
but  to  us,  the  wonders  of  the  Lake. 

Neither  mother  nor  father  could  read.  Thejr 


AROUND  THE  AZTEC  CAPITAL 


69 


had  wished  their  children  might  learn  to  do  so,  but 
had  come  to  think  they  were  too  old  to  begin  to 
learn.  We  secured  some  Spanish  first  readers  and, 
after  the  supper  dishes  were  washed,  Aurelia  and 
Maicimino  would  come  to  the  living  room  for  their 
daily  reading  lesson.  They  learned  rapidly  and,  as 
soon  as  they  found  they  could  begin  to  spell  out 
and  understand  the  signs  over  the  places  of  busi¬ 
ness  in  the  city,  were  delighted  and  spurred  on  to 
greater  effort.  After  finishing  the  primers,  the 
Spanish  Bible  became  our  text-book.  Finally, 
with  the  formality  of  a  full  month’s  notice,  this 
Mexican  brother  and  sister  left  our  home;  he  to 
assist  his  father  on  the  little  farm,  she  to  relieve 
her  aged  mother  in  the  household  duties.  Honest 
and  faithful,  responsive  and  affectionate,  our  inti¬ 
mate  relations  with  this  humble  Mexican  family 
proved  them  to  be.  Our  associations  with  them 
helped  to  brighten  our  stay  in  Mexico  City  at  a  time 
when  living  conditions  left  much  to  be  desired. 

Mexico  City  was  suffering  at  this  time  from  a 
scourge  of  organised  thieves  and  housebreakers. 
Nothing  movable  was  safe  from  their  depreda¬ 
tions.  Clothing,  laundry,  utensils,  door  knobs, 
bells,  and  electric  light  fixtures,  would  disappear 
mysteriously  while  one’s  back  was  turned.  Al¬ 
most  while  one  was  looking,  automobile  parts  such 
as  hub  and  radiator  caps,  spark  coils,  lamps  and 
headlights,  would  disappear  from  a  standing 
machine. 


70  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


Three  well-dressed  young  men  entered  the  Bible 
Depository  early  one  morning  as  Miss  Febe 
Becerra,  who  was  alone  in  charge  of  the  office,  was 
using  the  telephone.  Two  of  the  men  coming  near 
tried  to  engage  her  in  conversation  and  confuse 
her.  On  hanging  up  the  receiver,  she  noticed  that 
the  typewriter,  at  which  she  had  just  been  working, 
had  disappeared.  Stepping  quickly  to  the  door 
ahead  of  the  men,  she  held  them  while  calling  for 
help,  and  succeeded  in  delivering  both  to  the  police, 
though  one  a  Bernards  escaped.  Several  type¬ 
writers  were  lost  in  the  city  that  week,  but  this 
was  the  only  case  in  which  an  arrest  was  made. 

Both  Miss  Becerra  and  I,  as  her  employer  and 
owner  of  the  machine,  were  obliged  to  appear  in 
court.  The  authorities  kept  calling  upon  her  to 
appear.  Finally  it  became  necessary  for  her  to  go 
to  the  penitentiary  to  identify  the  prisoner.  Re¬ 
tiring,  as  Mexican  ladies  are  known  to  be,  one 
could  but  admire  her  courage  and  pluck,  her  pres¬ 
ence  of  mind,  and  her  willingness  to  see  the  thing 
through.  Police  courts  in  Mexico  are  so  slow,  and 
any  case  involves  so  much  loss  of  time  and  so 
many  petty  annoyances  that  many  prefer  to  allow 
a  thief  to  escape  rather  than  run  the  risk  of  being 
involved  in  a  court  affair. 

No  body  of  water  is  more  intimately  connected 
with  the  life  of  a  people  or  is  more  closely  inter¬ 
woven  with  its  legends  and  history  than  is  Lake 
Texcoco  with  that  of  the  once  powerful  Aztecs. 


AROUND  THE  AZTEC  CAPITAL 


71 


Suggestive  also  of  the  fate  of  that  ill-starred  na¬ 
tion  is  the  reduction  of  the  once  proud  inland  sea 
to  little  more  than  a  mud  flat  barely  covered  with 
water  during  the  dry  season,  a  little  deeper  and 
more  extended  during  the  rains,  but  never  more 
than  a  faint  indication  of  its  former  national  im¬ 
portance.  Teeming  with  insect,  bird,  reptile,  and 
amphibian  life  as  do  few  spots  on  the  surface  of 
our  planet,  the  lake  is  the  wonder  of  the  casual 
visitor,  a  garden  of  discovery  and  delight  for  the 
naturalist,  and  a  wing-shot’s  paradise.  More  im¬ 
portant  than  these,  however,  is  the  never-ending 
human  interest  centering  in  the  lives  of  the  simple 
villagers  who  cultivate  its  shores,  pasture  their 
cattle  among  its  reeds,  extract  a  living  from  its 
fertile  mud  by  the  sale  of  the  catch  of  insects,  fish, 
bird,  and  amphibian,  or  of  the  saltpeter  left  by  the 
evaporation  of  its  liquid  content.  Typical  of  the 
constant  struggle  for  life  going  on  in  and  above 
its  waters  is  the  Mexican  national  emblem  of  an 
eagle  in  the  act  of  destroying  a  serpent. 

Lake  Texcoco  is  a  large  body  of  very  shallow 
water,  the  remains  of  what  was  formerly  an  inland 
sea  that  covered  the  floor  of  the  valley,  and  in  the 
midst  of  which  the  city  of  Mexico  was  first  built. 
At  the  time  of  the  Spanish  conquest  the  city  was 
surrounded  by  water  and  connected  with  the  main¬ 
land  by  a  long  causeway.  Cortez  built  ships  on 
the  shore  of  the  lake  at  the  town  of  Texcoco  when 
he  laid  siege  to  the  city.  Many  of  its  streets  were 


72 


GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


formed  by  canals  as  are  those  of  modern  Venice. 
The  water  has  been  gradually  drying  up,  however, 
aided  in  the  process  by  a  triumph  of  modern  sani¬ 
tary  engineering  in  the  form  of  the  sewage  canal 
and  tunnel  through  the  mountains  that  form  the 
rim  of  the  bowl-shaped  valley  which  formerly  had 
no  outlet. 

While  never  entirely  dry,  at  times  sections  of 
the  bottom  of  the  lake  become  so  dry  that  the  mud 
is  worked  up  into  fine  dust  which  is  frequently 
elevated  by  whirlwinds  and  precipitated  upon 
Mexico  City  in  heavy,  disagreeable  dust  storms. 
During  the  rains,  this  lake-bottom  is  covered  with 
water  ranging  in  depth  anywhere  from  a  few 
inches  to  two  or  three  feet.  It  is  traversed  by 
narrow  ditch-like  canals  to  admit  the  passage  of 
long,  narrow  boats.  On  a  still  day,  I  have  seen  a 
man,  sitting  in  a  boat  in  the  middle  of  a  stretch  of 
water  a  mile  wide  and  apparently  deep,  jump  out 
and  run  to  secure  a  duck  he  had  shot.  The  water 
was  so  shallow  that  from  the  distance  it  gave  the 
appearance  of  the  miracle  of  a  man  running  on  the 
surface  of  a  large  body  of  water. 

It  was  the  friendship  of  the  family  of  our 
Mexican  servants  that  led  to  an  intimate  acquaint¬ 
ance  with  this  fascinating  natural  vivarium.  To 
reach  their  home  in  Xochitenco  we  crossed  the 
lake  on  a  flat  car  drawn  by  mules  over  a  delapi- 
dated  railroad  built  on  a  low  embankment  thrown 
up  across  the  shallow  waters. 


AROUND  THE  AZTEC  CAPITAL 


73 


Sr.  Garcia’s  little  plot  of  land  reached  to  the 
edge  of  the  lake,  and  a  ditch  brought  his  long, 
narrow  boat  close  to  the  house.  At  this  point  the 
lake  is  overgrown  with  reeds,  but  channels  are  kept 
open  for  navigation  by  the  light,  flat-bottomed 
boats.  We  were  taken  for  a  ride  in  one  of  these 
boats  which  was  filled  with  grass  so  that  we  might 
recline  in  comfort  while  our  swarthy  hosts,  father 
and  son,  propelled  us  around  among  the  reeds  and 
out  into  the  open  water.  The  Garcias  were  very 
solicitous  that  Mrs.  Jordan  should  enjoy  the  day, 
and  as  we  made  our  way  through  the  channels 
among  the  bright  green  rushes,  reclining  over  the 
water,  shaded  by  umbrellas  from  the  tropic  sun, 
with  every  wish  anticipated  by  our  delighted  hosts, 
it  was  not  hard  to  imagine  the  pomp  and  luxury 
of  the  Montezumas  as  they  traveled  in  royal 
splendour  the  waterways  of  the  empire  before  the 
arrival  of  Cortez  and  his  followers. 

Innumerable  snipe-like  birds  were  feeding  in  the 
mud.  Some  of  these  were  shot  for  us  with  an  old 
muzzle-loading  gun  such  as  I  had  used  when  a 
boy.  Numerous  water  snakes  would  glide  from 
the  reeds  into  the  water  and  swim  away  at  our 
approach.  The  water,  the  mud,  and  the  grass, 
were  teeming  with  many  kinds  of  aquatic  and 
semi-aquatic  life.  The  tall  reeds  were  fairly  alive 
with  small  frogs  that,  having  crawled  up  out  of 
the  water,  were  sunning  themselves  on  the  glisten¬ 
ing  stalks  and  leaves.  Insects  scurried  to  their 


74 


GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


hiding  places  in  the  mud.  Schools  of  small, 
minnow-like  fish  fairly  crowded  themselves  out 
of  the  water  in  places,  and  elsewhere  the  shallow 
bottom  was  black  with  wriggling  tadpoles. 

As  we  had  come  along  the  railroad  from 
Mexico  City  across  the  mud  flats  of  the  lake,  we 
had  noticed  the  sides  of  the  embankment  black 
with  a  small  fly  that  had  congregated  in  such 
swarms  that  the  noise  as  they  flew  up,  frightened 
by  the  trotting  mules,  was  similar  to  that  caused 
by  the  wind  among  dry  leaves.  An  interesting 
feature  in  the  history  of  this  fly  scientifically 
known  as  “  ephydra  Mans  ”  is  its  use  from  time 
immemorial  as  an  article  of  human  consumption. 
Handfuls  of  long  reeds  are  tied  together  at  the 
tips  and  laid  in  parallel  rows  about  a  foot  apart 
upon  the  ground  at  the  water’s  edge.  In  a  short 
time  these  wisps  of  reeds  are  covered  with  flies 
and  after  a  day  or  two  are  gathered,  white  with 
the  deposited  eggs.  They  are  then  spread  out  in 
the  hot  sun.  After  drying,  the  eggs  are  shaken 
and  rubbed  off  onto  a  large  cloth  spread  upon  the 
ground.  When  needed  for  food,  they  are  ground 
and  prepared  as  a  sort  of  porridge  or  gruel  of 
which  the  inhabitants  in  the  bordering  villages 
are  very  fond. 

The  mud  of  the  lake  bottom  teems  with  count¬ 
less  millions  of  the  larvae  of  this  fly,  and  portions 
of  the  surface  are  covered  at  times  with  its  float¬ 
ing  pupae.  These  drift  ashore  in  little  windrows 


AROUND  THE  AZTEC  CAPITAL 


75 


and  are  swept  up  by  the  natives.  The  choicest  of 
the  pupae  are  made  into  paste  to  be  eaten  with 
tortillas.  Others  are  dried,  cleaned  of  the  foreign 
matter  that  has  drifted  ashore  with  them,  and  sold 
for  bird  food.  Before  the  great  war  they  were 
regularly  shipped  to  Europe  and  sold  to  bird 
fanciers.  The  residue  is  used  as  fertilizer  by  the 
gardeners  around  the  capital.  The  mature  flies  are 
caught  at  night  in  large  numbers  in  cheese  cloth 
nets  and  sold  in  the  markets  for  chicken  feed. 

One  of  the  most  impressive  lessons  of  Lake 
Texcoco  is  to  be  found  in  the  wonderful  provision 
of  Providence,  by  this  super-abundance  of  animal 
life  in  its  waters  and  muddy  bottom,  for  the  sus¬ 
tenance  throughout  the  winter  of  the  vast  numbers 
of  water  fowl  that  darken  its  waters  from  Septem¬ 
ber  to  March.  While  there  is  a  great  variety  of 
other  birds,  swimmers  as  well  as  great  flocks  of 
waders,  the  various  species  of  the  migratory  duck 
predominate.  During  the  season  from  the  last  of 
September  to  the  first  of  March,  this  lake  is  fre¬ 
quented  by  hundreds  of  thousands  of  ducks  that 
come  to  spend  the  winter  here  where  nature 
has  provided  such  abundance  of  food  for  their 
nourishment. 

These  are  the  very  same  ducks  that  the  United 
States  and  Canada  protect  in  the  spring  on  their 
return  to  their  breeding  places  in  the  north. 
Again  on  their  way  back  in  autumn  to  their  winter 
quarters  on  Lake  Texcoco  they  are  hedged  about 


76  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


with  shooting  regulations.  Here  in  Mexico  the 
birds  are  absolutely  unprotected  and  subjected  to 
the  most  destructive  kind  of  wholesale  slaughter. 
Individuals  acquire  the  rights  to  sections  of  the 
lake.  Through  these  places  no  one  is  allowed  to 
pass,  and  at  a  point  within  easy  shotgun  range  a 
hundred  or  more  old  fowling  pieces  are  trained  on 
the  water.  About  as  many  more  are  pointed  a  few 
feet  above  the  surface.  The  ducks,  learning  that 
they  can  feed  undisturbed  in  these  spots,  congre¬ 
gate  here  in  great  numbers.  At  a  pre-arranged 
hour,  usuallv  between  ten  and  eleven  in  the  morn- 
ing,  a  volley  is  fired  by  a  contrivance  attached  to 
the  guns,  first  at  the  ducks  resting  on  the  water, 
then  another  volley  as  they  rise.  The  slaughter  is 
enormous.  Wounded  ducks  fly  in  all  directions. 
Men,  women  and  boys  from  Mexico  City,  having 
gathered  in  anticipation  of  the  “ armada”  as  they 
call  it,  run  to  secure  the  wounded  ducks  that  fall 
outside  the  property  of  those  controlling  this  sec¬ 
tion  of  the  water.  The  slayers  gather  up  the  dead 
and  wounded  as  quickly  as  possible  in  boat-loads, 
and,  charging  the  guns  again,  retire  from  sight. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  frightened  birds 
soon  begin  to  congregate  again  in  the  same  place. 
Volleys  of  shot  fired  at  them  in  this  way,  from 
time  to  time,  frighten  the  birds  less  than  the  con¬ 
tinued  passing  of  sportsmen  with  guns.  On  most 
of  the  grounds  this  wholesale  shooting  occurs 
about  twice  a  week  from  October  to  February. 


AROUND  THE  AZTEC  CAPITAL 


77 


Other  game  birds  are  also  subjected  to  this  manner 
of  slaughter,  but  not  to  the  same  extent  as  ducks. 
After  such  an  “  armada  ”  ducks  are  frequently  sold 
in  Mexico  City  for  twenty-five  cents  each. 

This  brings  us  to  another  lesson  to  be  derived 
from  the  study  of  Lake  Texcoco,  namely,  the 
brotherhood  and  interdependence  of  man.  The 
earth,  being  made  for  mankind  as  a  whole,  should 
not  be  monopolised  by  any  individual  or  nation. 
These  wild  ducks  should  be  made  a  subject  of  in¬ 
ternational  agreement  as  to  laws  for  their  preser¬ 
vation.  Since  the  United  States  and  Canada  pro¬ 
tect  these  birds,  could  not  Mexico  be  persuaded  to 
give  them  some  measure  of  protection,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  take  steps  to  prevent  the  further  drying 
up  of  this  wonderful  body  of  water  in  order  that 
it  may  be  preserved  to  continue  to  produce  its 
marvelous  supply  of  food  for  the  innumerable 
birds  that  congregate  here  to  pass  the  winter? 

Of  intense  interest  are  the  archaeological  and 
ethnological  collections  to  be  found  in  the  museum 
of  Mexico  City.  They  not  only  merit  a  passing 
visit,  but  furnish  subjects  for  a  lifetime  of  fasci¬ 
nating  study.  The  enormous,  grotesque,  stone 
figures  of  the  Aztecs  indicate  a  mythology  trying 
to  find  enduring  expression.  The  massive  Calen¬ 
dar  Stone,  with  its  undeciphered  hieroglyphics, 
bears  mute  testimony  to  a  development  of  the 
science  of  astronomy  that  must  have  been  the 
result  of  generations  of  patient  study  and  observa- 


78  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


tion.  The  different  tribes  of  Indians  living  in  the 
various  parts  of  Mexico  are  here  represented  by 
life-sized  wax  figures  clad  in  native  costumes, 
working  at  their  usual  occupations  in  the  vicinity 
of  huts  which  are  the  exact  replica  of  those  found 
in  the  native  villages. 

The  Natural  History  Museum  occupies  crowded 
quarters,  every  available  inch  of  floor  space  being 
taken  up  with  glass  cases  crowded  with  specimens. 
At  the  sides,  cases  are  arranged  tier  upon  tier. 
Hundreds  of  stuffed  specimens  are  standing  upon 
the  tops  of  the  side  cases  and  hung  from  the  walls 
around  the  interior.  Few  places  are  more  favour¬ 
ably  located  for  such  a  museum,  or  are  better 
centers  from  which  to  pursue  the  study  of  nature, 
than  is  Mexico  City.  The  altitude  is  favourable 
to  the  preservation  of  the  specimens,  and  its  loca¬ 
tion  at  the  center  of  the  railroad  system  of  the 
country  which  has  a  variety  of  fauna  excelled  by 
few  others  adds  to  its  desirability  as  a  center  for 
scientific  observation. 

The  Biological  Department  of  the  museum  was 
making  a  study  of  the  vital  statistics  of  the  valley 
of  Mexico  during  the  time  of  our  stay  in  the  city. 
They  were  also  trying  to  secure  a  complete  set  of 
specimens  of  the  fauna  of  the  valley.  I  found 
Professor  Herrera  a  most  charming  gentleman. 
During  our  outings  in  the  vicinity  of  Lake  Tex- 
coco  I  succeeded  in  securing  some  desired  speci¬ 
mens  which  I  gave  to  the  museum.  Thereafter  I 


AROUND  THE  AZTEC  CAPITAL 


79 


had  a  standing  invitation  from  Mr.  Herrera,  the 
chief  of  the  department,  to  accompany  the  staff  of 
the  institution  on  their  weekly  outings  for  study, 
research  and  recreation. 

One  Saturday,  we  all  carried  our  lunch  and 
visited  the  locality  of  the  famous  floating  gardens 
at  Xochimilco,  where  are  also  the  waterworks 
from  which  Mexico  City  is  supplied.  The  party 
consisted  of  professors  of  the  University,  Mr. 
Herrera,  and  the  mythologist,  entomologist,  and 
taxidermist  of  the  museum,  as  well  as  two  or  three 
others.  We  passed  a  most  pleasant  day  and  se¬ 
cured  many  specimens.  Mr.  Herrera  obtained 
much  information  regarding  the  most  prevalent 
diseases  among  the  natives  of  the  district.  To  my 
mind,  the  outstanding  feature  of  the  day  was  the 
fact  that  the  party,  consisting  mostly  of  Govern¬ 
ment  employees,  went  first  to  military  headquar¬ 
ters  to  request  that  soldiers  be  sent  out  to  protect 
us  during  the  day’s  outing  from  attack  by  the 
Indian  followers  and  friends  of  the  rebel  Zapata, 
a  precaution  I  would  have  considered  unnecessary 
had  I  been  alone. 

While  there  was  much  banditry  and  highway 
robbery,  it  was  safer  for  a  foreigner  to  travel  in 
Mexico  at  that  time  than  for  almost  any  unpro¬ 
tected  member  of  the  Mexican  Government.  I 
once  invited  a  friend  who  was  very  prominent  in 
Mexican  politics  and  a  loyal  supporter  of  Mr.  Car¬ 
ranza  to  go  with  me  on  Saturday  afternoon  on  a 


80  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


shooting  trip  across  Lake  Texcoco.  He  demurred, 
saying  that  he  would  very  much  like  to  go  but  that 
he  was  so  closely  connected  with  the  government 
that,  should  we  meet  with  any  of  its  enemies,  he 
feared  he  would  receive  little  mercy  at  their  hands. 
This  invitation  was  to  visit  the  vicinity  of  the 
home  of  our  servants,  a  section  to  which  I  had  not 
the  slightest  hesitation  in  taking  Mrs.  Jordan  and 
the  children  and  where  we  were  treated  by  all  with 
the  greatest  consideration  and  courtesy. 

I  found  military  men  everywhere  very  kindly 
disposed.  There  was  no  prejudice  against  indi¬ 
vidual  Americans.  I,  as  well  as  other  mission¬ 
aries,  circulated  freely  among  Villa’s  soldiers  in 
and  around  Aguas  Calientes  just  after  their  first 
defeat  by  the  Carranza  forces.  No  restrictions 
were  placed  upon  our  movements,  and  soldiers  and 
officers  conversed  freely  with  us.  I  remember  in 
particular  one  petty  officer  beside  whom  I  sat  at 
the  railroad  station.  He  was  very  much  dejected, 
having  just  lost  a  brother.  Speaking  of  the  way 
the  revolution  had  degenerated  to  a  fratricidal 
squabble  he  said : 

“  We  Mexicans  are  a  bad  lot.  We  cannot  agree 
together.  I  will  never  forgive  those  scoundrels  for 
the  way  in  which  they  killed  my  brother.” 

He  was  no  longer  fighting  for  principles,  vin¬ 
dictiveness  furnished  the  motive. 

The  officers  of  Carranza’s  forces  were  equally 
friendly  and  confided  to  me  secrets  regarding  their 


AROUND  THE  AZTEC  CAPITAL 


81 


movements  that  were  very  important  in  arranging 
my  itinerary. 

Even  the  terrible  Zapata  whose  Indians,  when 
in  possession  of  Mexico  City,  shot  down  the  fire¬ 
men  thinking  that  the  engine  with  which  they  were 
hastening  to  quench  a  fire  was  some  new  instru¬ 
ment  of  war,  gave  the  colporteur  of  the  American 
Bible  Society  a  passport  in  which  he  commanded 
his  own  officials  to  offer  him  every  facility  in  his 
work  and  kindly  requested  the  enemy  to  do 
the  same! 

Such  are  the  Mexicans  as  I  have  found  them  in 
all  walks  of  life.  Always  ready  to  meet  one  more 
than  half  way  in  establishing  friendships  that  were 
helpful  and  permanent.  They  have  found  a  cher¬ 
ished  place  in  our  memories  and,  on  leaving  the 
country  to  which  we  had  devoted  four  years  of 
happy  service,  to  take  up  our  residence  in  the  Canal 
Zone,  we  felt  like  repeating  from  the  heart  the 
formula  of  the  Mexican  labourer  on  leaving  the 
service  of  an  employer,  “  Dispense  lo  malo.”  Lit¬ 
erally,  “Excuse  the  bad.”  Freely  translated  it 
means,  “  Forgive  all  the  trouble  and  worry  my 
mistakes  and  imperfect  services  may  have  caused 
you.” 


VI 

THE  BIBLE  HOUSE,  CRISTOBAL,  C.  Z. 


THE  magnificent  three-story  reinforced  con¬ 
crete  building  in  the  business  section  of 
Cristobal,  Canal  Zone,  announcing  to  the 
world  in  large  blue  terra  cotta  letters  that  it  is  the 
property  of  the  American  Bible  Society  bears  a 
bronze  tablet  setting  forth  its  origin  as  a  centen¬ 
nial  gift  from  the  Maryland  Bible  Society  on  the 
completion  of  the  first  hundred  years  of  the 
former.  The  Bible  House  was  erected  here  in 
order  to  take  advantage  of  a  strategic  position 
from  which  to  send  the  printed  Word  to  the  ends 
of  the  earth  through  the  multitudinous  avenues  of 
commerce  centering  in  the  Canal. 

The  building  is  the  headquarters  for  two  agen¬ 
cies  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  the  Upper 
Andes  and  the  Caribbean,  which  cover  Central 
America,  Panama,  Colombia,  Ecuador,  Peru  and 
Bolivia.  Here,  also,  many  missionaries  going  to 
and  from  their  fields  in  Central  and  South  Amer¬ 
ica,  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  find  a 
temporary  home  while  waiting  to  make  their  boat 
connections  when  it  becomes  necessary  to  tranship 
in  Panama.  I  do  not  know,  however,  that  it  was 


82 


THE  BIBLE  HOUSE,  CRISTOBAL,  C.  Z.  83 


ever  anticipated  that  the  Bible  House  at  Cristobal 
would  serve  in  any  large  way  the  indigenous  popu¬ 
lations  of  Central  and  South  America.  This, 
nevertheless,  it  is  beginning  to  do.  Within  the 
last  few  weeks  there  has  been  brought  to  the  Bible 
House  a  manuscript  of  a  grammar  and  the  Gospel 
of  Matthew  in  the  language  of  the  Yaliente  In¬ 
dians  of  the  Republic  of  Panama  whose  speech  has 
never  before  been  reduced  to  writing.  These 
people  occupy  a  portion  of  the  coast,  but  more 
largely  the  mountains  of  the  interior  between 
Cristobal  and  Bocas  del  Toro,  the  first  seaport  to 
the  west.  A  lay  worker  of  the  English  Wesleyan 
church  without  much  book  learning  has  been  for 
years  working  out  the  intricacies  of  this  unknown 
and  unwritten  language.  The  missionary  in 
charge,  the  Rev.  C.  S.  Cousins,  brought  the  results 
of  the  labours  of  this  indefatigable  worker  to  the 
representative  of  the  Bible  Society  for  suggestion 
and  help. 

In  the  opposite  direction,  to  the  east  along  the 
north  shore  of  the  Isthmus  toward  Colombia,  in¬ 
habiting  a  group  of  entrancingly  beautiful  coral 
islands  and  the  adjacent  coast,  are  the  San  Bias 
Indians.  Small  of  stature,  of  sturdy  physique,  no 
adequate  description  of  them  is  to  be  found  in  our 
encyclopedias.  Ruled  by  hereditary  chiefs,  they 
had  not  until  recently  acknowledged  the  supremacy 
of  the  white  man.  These  Indians  boast  their  racial 
purity  and  uncontaminated  blood.  They  are  sim- 


84  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


pie  agriculturalists,  fishermen,  and  hunters,  selling 
their  cocoanuts  to  the  merchants  of  Colon,  who 
send  small  boats  along  the  coast  to  gather  them  in. 
Sometimes  the  Indians  themselves  bring  their 
products  and  those  of  the  forest  and  sea  to  the 
wharves  at  Colon,  paddling  with  marvelous  skill 
their  dug-out  canoes,  heaped  to  the  gunwale,  over 
the  choppy  sea  outside  the  harbour. 

These  Indians  have  peculiar  customs.  They  live 
mostly  on  the  low  coral  islands  of  the  gulf  of  San 
Bias  to  avoid  the  snakes,  beasts,  and  insect  pests 
of  the  mainland.  Their  cocoanut  farms,  however, 
are  on  the  nearby  coast  where  the  women  go  to  the 
streams  for  fresh  water  for  drinking,  cooking,  and 
washing  and  the  men  to  work,  hunt,  and  bury  their 
dead.  They  are  very  cleanly  in  some  of  their 
habits,  washing  their  clothing  and  bathing  fre¬ 
quently.  Both  men  and  women  are  clever  with  the 
needle.  The  men  make  their  own  garments  and 
the  women  make  dresses  of  applique  work  with 
fantastic  designs.  They  are  fond  of  ornaments 
and  weight  themselves  down  with  strings  of  coins 
and  beads.  They  disfigure  their  limbs  by  constrict¬ 
ing  them  with  strings  of  beads  so  tightly  wound 
around  that  the  muscles  of  the  calf  do  not  develop. 
Nose  rings  and  great  gold  disks  hanging  from 
their  ears  were  until  recently  the  fashion.  Rum 
and  gambling  are  the  curses  of  this  picturesque 
people  who  are  exploited  by  traders  and  conscience¬ 
less  government  officials. 


INDIAN  WOMAN  (SAN  BLAS)  PANAMA.  NOTE  MEXICAN  CHRISTIAN  WOMAN  CARRYING 
GOLD  DISKS  AND  CONSTRICTED  ARMS.  WATER. 


THE  BIBLE  HOUSE,  CRISTOBAL,  C.  Z.  85 


The  local  Government  representative,  the  chief 
of  police,  is  now  setting  about  civilising  (?)  the 
islanders  by  forbidding  the  wearing  of  their  pic¬ 
turesque  costumes  and  prohibiting  attendance  at 
the  mission  school  and  sendees.  Rounding  them 
up,  he  forces  them  to  take  part  in  nightly  dances 
where  Panamanian  police  teach  mixed  dancing  and 
the  modern  “  trots,”  a  proceeding  which  at  first 
scandalised  the  hitherto  unsophisticated  Indians. 
Recently  the  chief  of  police  outdid  Pizarro  himself 
by  issuing  an  order  that  no  Indian  woman  should 
henceforth  wear  jewelry  on  pain  of  imprisonment. 
He  then  proceeded  to  confiscate  quantities  of  gold 
and  silver  ornaments,  giving  neither  receipt  nor 
scrap  of  paper  to  indicate  the  value  or  previous 
ownership  of  the  articles. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Purdy,  who  has  lived  for  eight 
years  in  a  grass  hut  on  one  of  the  islands  and  who 
is  returning  to  the  States  broken  in  health  by  a 
malignant  type  of  malaria,  is,  at  this  writing,  at 
the  Bible  House  on  her  way  to  the  States  with 
three  Indian  young  men  whom  she  has  been  teach¬ 
ing  English,  and  whom  her  zeal  has  inspired  with 
the  ambition  to  get  an  education  so  that  they  can 
return  to  help  their  own  people.  While  at  the 
Bible  House,  Mrs.  Purdy  is  dictating  to  the  repre¬ 
sentative  of  the  Bible  Society  her  vocabulary  of 
Indian  words  so  that  whoever  follows  her  may 
take  advantage  of  the  result  of  her  labours  and 
begin  where  she  left  off. 


86  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


South  from  the  San  Bias  region  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  Isthmus  are  the  still  more  primitive 
Darien  Indians,  among  whom  no  missionary  is 
working.  From  time  to  time,  excursion  parties 
are  formed  and  a  launch  chartered  by  Canal 
Zone  employees  and  others  to  look  upon  these 
Darien  Indians  in  their  primitiveness  and  to 
photograph  them  in  their  nakedness,  but  no  mes¬ 
senger  of  the  Cross  has  as  yet  gone  to  live  Christ 
among  them. 

These  unevangelised  Indians,  and  others  as  well, 
are  close  at  hand,  living  with  us  on  the  same  nar¬ 
row  Isthmus  that  has  witnessed  one  of  the  greatest 
engineering  feats  of  modern  times.  Farther  afield 
to  the  West  and  Northwest  in  Central  America 
and  to  the  South  and  Southeast  in  the  Andes  and 
the  Amazon  valley,  are  the  descendants  of  the 
ancient  Cakchiquels  and  Quiches,  the  Chibchas, 
the  Quichuas,  and  the  Aymaras  whose  civilisations 
were  destroyed  by  the  Spanish  Conquest,  but 
whose  enslaved  children  are  today  mutely  appeal¬ 
ing  to  North  America  for  sympathy  and  help. 
Indian  America  is  at  our  doors  here  in  Cristo¬ 
bal;  its  representatives  daily  walk  the  streets  of 
Panama  and  Colon  as  well  as  other  Latin  Ameri¬ 
can  cities,  ignorant  of  Spanish,  the  language  of 
their  rulers,  and  dumbly  desiring — they  know  not 
what.  We  know:  it  is  Christian  sympathy,  the 
Message  of  Jesus,  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom. 
Thank  God  for  the  Bible  House  and  the  purpose 


I 


THE  BIBLE  HOUSE,  CRISTOBAL,  C.  Z.  87 

that  erected  it  that  every  man  might  hear  in  his 
own  tongue  the  “  wonderful  works  of  God.” 

Rev.  R.  R.  Gregory,  Secretary  for  the  Carib¬ 
bean  Agency,  has  just  brought  to  the  Bible  House 
(1923)  on  his  return  from  a  trip  through  Gaute- 
mala,  the  manuscript  of  a  part  of  the  Gospel  of 
John  in  the  Cakchiquel  language,  translated  by 
Mr.  W.  C.  Townsend,  of  the  Central  America 
Mission  of  Antigua  with  the  help  of  two  Indian 
converts.  This  language,  spoken  by  about  250,000 
people  is  of  Mayan  stock,  the  most  fully  developed 
of  any  of  the  languages  found  in  the  two  Amer¬ 
icas.  Monuments,  monoliths,  and  other  stones 
with  still  undeciphered  Mayan  inscriptions  are 
found  today  scattered  among  crumbling  and  forest- 
covered  ruins  throughout  northern  Gautemala  and 
southern  Mexico.  Mr.  Townsend  and  his  helpers 
pastor  thirty-eight  congregations  speaking  this 
language. 

Nowhere  in  all  Indian  America  is  more  progress 
being  made  towards  reaching  the  Indian  with  the 
Gospel  than  in  Gautemala.  Rev.  Paul  Burgess, 
Ph.D.,  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission  at  Quezalte- 
nango,  has  had  American  and  European  training, 
and  is  devoting  himself  entirely  to  work  for  the 
Quiches,  of  which  there  are  some  300,000,  among 
whom  he  has  many  mission  congregations.  The 
Quiches  are  also  of  Mayan  stock,  and  Mr.  Burgess 
is  approaching  their  language  from  a  scientific 
standpoint  with  a  view  to  giving  them  the  Gospel 


83 


GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


in  their  own  tongue.  Both  Mr.  Townsend  and 
Dr.  Burgess  are  looking  to  the  American  Bible 
Society  to  publish  the  results  of  their  Bible  trans¬ 
lation  work. 

Devoted  Moravian  missionaries  have  already 
translated  the  New  Testament  into  the  language  of 
the  famous  Mosquito  Indians  inhabiting  the  east 
coast  of  Nicaragua.  The  work  hitherto  attempted 
in  Central  America  is,  however,  but  very  slight 
compared  with  that  remaining  to  be  undertaken. 

The  activities  on  behalf  of  the  Indian,  helped  or 
directed  from  the  Bible  House,  reach  away  down 
to  Southern  Bolivia.  We  are  at  this  writing  mail¬ 
ing  copies  of  the  whole  New  Testament  in  the 
Quechua  language  of  that  region  to  missionaries 
at  work  in  the  Bolivian  interior.  This  particular 
production  is,  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  learn, 
the  second  complete  New  Testament  ever  pub¬ 
lished  in  any  indigenous  South  American  language 
or  dialect — the  first  being  that  of  the  Guarani  of 
Paraguay.  This  translation  was  made  under  the 
direction  of  Mr.  George  Allan,  of  the  Bolivian 
Indian  Mission.  The  American  Bible  Society  has 
just  entered  into  an  arrangement  with  Mr.  C.  H. 
McKinney,  formerly  of  that  Mission,  to  undertake 
the  supervision  of  the  circulation  of  this  book. 
Mr.  McKinney  will  locate  in  Da  Paz,  and  we  trust 
he  may  be  able  to  undertake  also  the  supervision 
of  the  translation  of  the  Gospels  into  the  language 
of  the  sturdy  though  degraded  Aymaras  that  in- 


THE  BIBLE  HOUSE,  CRISTOBAL,  C.  Z.  89 


habit  that  city  and  the  surrounding  country.  If 
we  except  a  very  defective  Gospel  of  Luke,  the 
Aymaras  have  never  had  any  portion  of  the  Bible 
in  their  own  tongue. 

Some  years  ago,  the  American  Bible  Society 
published  the  Gospels  in  the  dialect  of  Cuzco,  the 
cradle  of  the  Quechua  language,  which  is  now 
spoken  in  its  various  dialects  from  Ecuador  to 
northern  Chile.  Another  and  revised  edition  is 
needed.  In  the  program  of  evangelisation  of 
South  and  Central  America,  the  publishing  of 
diglot  Gospels  in  the  native  dialects  side  by  side 
with  the  Spanish,  is  of  prime  importance  if  for 
nothing  more  than  to  give  the  workers  among  the 
Indians  a  vocabulary  with  which  to  present  the 
Gospel.  Just  as  we  in  North  America  have  found 
the  publication  of  Bible  portions  in  English  and 
the  language  of  the  immigrant  an  aid  to  the 
Americanisation  of  the  foreigner,  so  the  Latin 
American  countries  are  going  to  find  the  publica¬ 
tion  of  these  diglot  Gospels  an  aid  in  the  program 
of  nationalising  the  Indian.  A  field  for  linguistic 
acquisition  and  effort  is  here  presented,  rivalled 
only  by  India  and  Africa. 

During  a  recent  visit  to  Ecuador,  the  writer 
called  on  Mrs.  William  Woodward,  of  Caliata,  a 
little  village  in  the  thickly-populated  Indian  coun¬ 
try  near  Riobamba.  Mrs.  Woodward  has  been  in 
Ecuador  for  the  last  nineteen  years  without  having 
once  returned  to  the  homeland.  Without  any 


90  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


special  educational  qualification  other  than  a  gram¬ 
mar  school  knowledge  of  English,  she  has  devoted 
herself  to  the  study  of  the  Indian  language,  using 
the  only  method  by  which  it  is  possible  to  acquire 
a  language  that  has  no  literature,  namely  associ¬ 
ation  with  the  people  themselves.  She  spent  a 
great  deal  of  her  time  with  the  shepherd  women  in 
the  fields  where  they  were  tending  their  flocks, 
showing  the  curiosity  of  a  child  in  asking  them 
the  name  of  everything  and  having  new  expres¬ 
sions  repeated  again  and  again  for  her  benefit. 
Little  by  little,  she  was  able  to  put  the  Bible  stories 
into  language  that  the  women  could  understand. 
Then  she  began  the  translation  of  incidents  and 
parables  from  the  Gospels,  writing  down  and  pre¬ 
serving  the  results  of  her  work.  Finally,  she  had 
accomplished  sufficient  to  be  able  to  translate  the 
whole  of  the  Gospel  of  Luke.  As  a  result  of  her 
long  study  and  patient  effort,  workers  now  going 
to  the  Ouechua  Indians  of  Ecuador  will  be  able  to 
save  years  of  delay  in  acquiring  the  language  by 
taking  advantage  of  that  which  Mrs.  Woodward 
has  been  at  work  so  faithfully  digging  out  for 
them  and  putting  into  print  with  the  help  of  the 
American  Bible  Society. 

From  the  highlands  of  Ecuador  to  the  east  of 
Riobamba  a  very  rapid  descent  is  made  into  the 
heavily-forested  Amazon  valley,  and  the  traveler 
finds  himself  in  the  land  of  the  Jibaros,  formerly 
a  very  numerous  and  warlike  tribe  who  extermi- 


THE  BIBLE  HOUSE,  CRISTOBAL,  C.  Z.  91 


nated  the  Spaniards  who  had  established  prosper¬ 
ous  cities  in  that  region.  These  people  are  devil 
worshipers.  If  God  is  good,  they  reason,  they 
have  nothing  to  fear  from  Him.  The  devil,  how¬ 
ever,  is  malignant,  therefore  he  must  be  propitiated 
by  worship  and  sacrifice.  The  witch  doctor  is  their 
chief  authority  and  resource  in  time  of  sickness 
and  need.  In  case  of  serious  illness,  some  child  or 
other  helpless  person  is  looked  upon  as  the  cause 
and  tortured,  frequently  to  death,  in  order  that  the 
sick  person  may  find  relief.  A  strong  man  or 
warrior  is  never  chosen  to  be  made  the  subject  of 
these  tortures.  An  able-bodied  man  is  so  strong 
that  he  cannot  be  made  the  tool  of  the  devil  in 
producing  sickness,  but  children,  women,  and  old 
men  may  be  so  used.  Women  do  the  heavy  work 
of  tilling  the  ground,  carrying  burdens,  etc.  A 
man  may  have  several  wives,  and  it  is  customary 
to  kill  the  old  and  useless  ones. 

War  is  the  normal  state  of  the  Jibaro  Indian, 
first  for  the  purpose  of  securing  wives  from  neigh¬ 
bouring  or  enemy  tribes,  second  for  revenge  of 
injuries  inflicted  upon  relatives  during  these  wars, 
then  for  enemy  heads  that  are  supposed  to  bring 
good  luck  to  the  possessors  because  of  the  sacrifice 
of  the  victim  to  the  devil.  The  heads  of  their 
enemies  also  become  a  source  of  income  to  these 
savage  Amazonian  tribes,  since  they  are  exchanged 
with  traders  for  arms,  ammunition,  etc. 

The  skull  is  removed  from  the  head  of  the  de- 


92  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


capitated  enemy  through  a  slit  in  the  back  from 
the  neck  up.  The  skin  is  then  boiled  to  arrest 
putrefaction,  after  which  it  is  dried  and  reduced 
in  size  by  inserting  hot  stones  the  size  of  an 
orange.  When  the  interior  has  been  shrunk  to  the 
size  of  the  stones  hot  sand  is  used  to  continue  the 
process  of  drying  and  shrinking.  After  the  pro¬ 
cess  is  completed,  the  head  is  hung  up  in  the  hut  as 
a  trophy  and  feasts  are  held  in  its  honour.  These 
miniature  heads,  retaining  to  a  remarkable  degree 
characteristic  likeness  to  the  living  person,  are  un¬ 
fortunately  in  demand  in  the  civilised  (?)  world. 
Merchants  in  Lima,  Peru,  and  even  in  Panama, 
have  these  gruesome  objects  mounted  in  glass  cases 
upon  their  counters  as  a  side  attraction  to  their 
places  of  business. 

During  the  last  two  centuries  the  Jibaros  have 
greatly  decreased  in  numbers.  Their  attitude 
toward  the  whites  has  become  more  friendly  and 
they  respond  readily  to  kindly  approach.  The  only 
missionaries  working  among  them,  however,  are 
those  of  the  Gospel  Missionary  Union.  These 
lone  missionaries,  also,  when  on  their  way  to  their 
distant  stations  take  advantage  of  the  hospitality 
offered  by  the  Bible  House  in  Cristobal.  Without 
much  book-learning  or  the  preparation  usually  re¬ 
quired  by  other  Mission  Boards  for  those  whom 
they  send  out,  these  missionaries  are  nevertheless 
representing  Jesus  Christ  in  the  midst  of  these  un¬ 
tutored  savages  and,  by  their  acts  of  kindness  in- 


THE  BIBLE  HOUSE,  CRISTOBAL,  C.  Z.  9 % 


terpreting  to  them  the  nature  of  God’s  love.  Is  it 
too  much  to  hope  that  even  these  Jibaros  may  some 
day  enjoy  the  benefits  already  conferred  upon  so 
many  nations  and  tribes  by  Bible  Society  activity? 

Long-neglected  Ecuador  is  at  last  receiving  some 
attention  from  North  American  missionary  forces. 
The  Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance  has  as¬ 
sumed  responsibility  for  the  evangelisation  of  the 
field.  In  increasing  numbers,  new  missionaries  of 
this  Board  are  calling  at  the  Bible  House.  The 
Indian  problem  is  being  laid  upon  the  hearts  of 
some.  Work  among  them  has  already  been 
opened  in  the  most  northerly  Quechua-speaking 
district  in  Otavalo,  north  of  Quito.  We  trust  that 
before  long  we  may  have  the  privilege  of  giving 
practical  aid  to  a  real  earnest  effort  to  give  the 
thickly-inhabited  villages  of  this  most  northerly 
Quechua-speaking  country  the  printed  Word  in 
their  own  tongue  side  by  side  with  the  Spanish, 
which  they  must  learn  if  they  are  to  assume  places 
of  equality  with  their  more  favoured  fellow- 
citizens.  The  effort  at  evangelisation  thereby  be¬ 
comes  also  a  help  to  the  general  uplift  of  the 
Indian  and  to  his  absorption  into  the  national  life 
to  which  he  has  more  to  contribute  than  many  real¬ 
ise.  The  Bible  Society  may  thus  help  to  make  this 
contribution  Christian. 

The  effort  to  reach  the  numerous  tribes  occupy¬ 
ing  the  vast  extent  of  territory  drained  by  the 
headwaters  of  the  Amazon  in  Ecuador,  Peru,  and 


94  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


Bolivia,  must  be  made  from  the  west,  since  access 
to  this  region  from  the  high  and  healthy  altitudes 
of  the  Andes  is  much  less  expensive,  more  direct, 
and  accompanied  by  fewer  dangers  than  the  long 
and  tedious  journey  up  the  Amazon.  At  any  time, 
the  representatives  of  these  tropical  forest  Indians 
may  be  found  in  the  mountain  cities  of  these  South 
American  countries  where  they  come  shivering  in 
their  insufficient  clothing  to  trade  herbs,  bird  skins 
and  other  trophies  of  the  tropical  jungles  for  the 
more  substantial  food  of  the  mountaineer  and  the 
cloth  and  trinkets  of  civilisation.  Panama  is 
therefore  a  logical  center  from  which  to  extend 
help  to  the  missionaries  working  in  Central  and 
South  America  in  the  attempts  to  put  the  Word  of 
God  into  the  primitive  Indian  languages  and  dia¬ 
lects.  It  has  been  our  inestimable  privilege  to  come 
in  contact  with  many  of  the  consecrated  workers 
throughout  the  countries  described  in  these  pages, 
to  visit  some  of  them  in  their  fields  of  labour,  and 
to  discuss  with  them  the  problems  connected  with 
the  evangelisation  of  their  respective  districts.  It 
was  from  Panama  that  Pizarro  and  his  compan¬ 
ions  sailed  on  their  voyages  of  discovery  and  con¬ 
quest  of  the  Inca  Empire.  It  is  from  the  Bible 
House  at  Cristobal  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  that 
soldiers  of  the  Cross  set  forth  four  centuries  later 
to  continue  their  voyages  of  discovery  and  con¬ 
quest  of  the  spiritual  darkness  of  these  same 
regions. 


VII 

CRISTOBAL  TO  PUNO,  PERU 


OUR  ship  is  due  to  leave  the  dock  at  Cris¬ 
tobal  on  the  Atlantic  end  of  the  Canal  at 
six  in  the  morning.  We  take  our  baggage 
on  board  the  evening  before  and  spend  the  night 
at  the  Bible  House. 

Arising  early,  we  walk  to  the  wharf  and  up  the 
deserted  gangway  about  half  an  hour  before  sail¬ 
ing  time.  This  is  the  most  pleasant  time  of  the 
day  in  the  tropics.  It  is  growing  daylight,  and  we 
go  to  the  upper  deck  to  watch  the  activities  con¬ 
nected  with  the  sailing  of  the  ship  and  to  note  the 
phenomena  of  dawn.  All  is  quiet  until  a  few  min¬ 
utes  before  six.  Then  the  pilot  is  seen  coming 
down  to  the  wharf  in  an  auto  and,  with  that 
business-like  American  step  which  it  is  so  refresh¬ 
ing  to  see  in  these  lands  where  everyone  saunters, 
comes  up  the  gangway  and  takes  his  place  on  the 
bridge.  Promptly  at  four  bells,  six  o’clock,  the 
windlasses  begin  to  turn  to  wind  the  ship’s  cables. 
The  coloured  West  Indian  crew  which  is  to  remain 
on  board  until  the  ship  has  made  the  transit,  comes 
over  the  gangway.  This  is  then  drawn  up;  tugs 
set  their  machinery  in  motion  and  take  their  places 

95 


96  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


at  the  side  of  the  ship;  negroes  take  positions  at 
the  hawser  posts  on  the  pier;  the  stewards  start 
cleaning;  and  we  realize  that  the  activities  of  the 
day  are  under  way. 

The  aft  hawser  is  cast  off  first,  the  ship  swings 
clear,  the  propeller  revolves,  and  we  begin  to  re¬ 
verse,  the  ship,  going  out  under  her  own  steam,  is 
soon  under  way.  Our  attention  is  now  directed 
to  the  east  where  low-lying,  silver-edged  clouds  an¬ 
nounce  that  the  sun  is  already  rising.  There  is  a 
stiff  breeze  blowing  from  the  Atlantic.  Beyond 
the  breakwater  we  can  see  a  United  Fruit  boat  ap¬ 
proaching  from  Costa  Rica,  while  smoke  and  a  dim 
outline  on  the  horizon  indicate  another  steamer 
making  this  comparatively  new  but  already  im¬ 
portant  port. 

The  tropical  vegetation  on  the  sides  of  the  canal 
as  we  approach  the  locks,  the  flocks  of  parrakeets 
and  other  highly-coloured  birds,  as  well  as  the 
beautiful  herons,  attract  the  notice  of  those  who 
are  new  to  the  tropics.  As  we  reach  the  entrances 
of  the  first  set  of  locks  four  electric  mules,  two  on 
either  side,  approach.  Cables  are  quickly  made 
fast  from  the  engines  to  the  ship,  holding  it  in  the 
middle  of  the  lock  away  from  the  sides.  The 
mules  climb  the  inclines  on  either  side  of  the  locks 
on  cogged  tracks  and  we  are  thus  towed  into  the 
first  chamber  with  its  massive,  damp,  cement  walls 
towering  above  us.  Looking  aft,  we  note  the 
marvelous  precision  with  which  the  immense  gates 


CRISTOBAL  TO  PUNO,  PERU 


97 


which,  when  we  entered,  were  opened  back  into 
recesses  in  the  sides,  begin  to  close.  Slowly  they 
swing  together.  When  they  have  closed,  the 
sluices  are  opened  and  the  water  begins  to  boil  up 
from  the  bottom  in  several  places  along  the  length 
of  the  lock.  So  rapidly  does  the  enclosure  fill  that 
in  eight  minutes  we  are  lifted  to  the  level  of  the 
next  lock.  The  gates  ahead  then  swing  open  and 
we  are  drawn  through  into  the  next  chamber. 
The  process  of  closing  the  gates  behind  us  and 
filling  the  lock  again  takes  place  and  we  are  raised 
to  the  level  of  the  next  and  then  to  that  of  the 
third  and  last  of  the  colossal  steps. 

As  the  water  rushing  into  this  final  lock  lifts 
the  deck  of  the  ship  above  the  level  of  the  last 
gates  which  are  to  open  and  let  us  pass,  Lake 
Gatun  bursts  into  view.  The  immense  dam  which 
forms  the  lake  is  seen  at  the  right,  as  is  also  the 
spray  rising  from  the  falls  of  the  overflow.  The 
power  developed  by  this  fall  is  used  in  generating 
electricity  not  only  for  operating  the  ponderous 
mechanism  of  this  gigantic  enterprise  but  for  light¬ 
ing  the  whole  Canal  Zone  and  furnishing  motive 
power  for  many  of  the  industrial  activities  con¬ 
nected  with  its  operation.  A  little  farther  down  is 
the  camp  of  the  Tarpon  Club.  The  water  of  the 
Chagras  river,  below  the  spillway,  teems  with  this 
king  of  the  finny  tribe  and  other  gamy  fish  to  such 
a  degree  as  to  kindle  the  enthusiasm  of  all  lovers 
of  angling  and  excite  the  envy  of  those  who  have 


98  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 

not  enjoyed  the  privilege  of  battle  royal  with  this 
pride  of  rod  and  reel. 

Finally,  when,  by  the  complete  filling  of  this 
last  lock  chamber,  we  have  been  raised  eighty-five 
feet  above  the  level  from  which  we  started,  the 
last  gates  swing  slowly  open;  we  are  towed  a  little 
farther ;  the  cables  are  cast  off ;  the  vessel  proceeds 
under  her  own  steam.  One  never  ceases  to  marvel 
at  the  wonderful  precision  with  which  everything 
proceeds  in  connection  with  the  passing  of  vessels 
through  the  locks  of  the  canal.  There  is  no  con¬ 
fusion,  bustle,  or  noise.  The  forces  at  work  are 
silent  ones.  The  turning  of  electric  switches  in 
the  control  tower  by  persons  out  of  sight  releases 
and  directs  the  power  by  which  all  the  mighty  ma¬ 
chinery  is  moved. 

We  cross  the  backbone  of  the  continent  on  this 
beautiful  artificial  body  of  fresh  water  studded 
with  islands  and  surrounded  by  dense  tropical 
vegetation  indicating  the  fertility  of  the  land  on 
the  isthmus.  Bird  life  abounds  here;  strange 
animals,  the  ant  bear,  the  sloth,  and  the  iguana,  the 
latter  a  bright-coloured,  lively,  herbivorous,  edible 
lizard  that  reaches  a  length  of  five  feet,  inhabit  the 
shores  of  this  newly-made  lake.  If  we  are  fortu¬ 
nate  we  shall  see  alligators  basking  on  the  banks  at 
the  Pacific  end  of  the  lake.  Adventurous  hunters 
among  the  canal  employees  shoot  wild  hogs,  deer, 
tapir,  monkeys,  and  big  boas  in  the  tangled  forests 
upon  which  we  are  looking. 


CRISTOBAL  TO  PUNO,  PERU 


99 


At  a  distance  of  a  few  miles  in  either  direction, 
primitive  tribes  of  Indians  inhabit  the  uncultivated 
jungle.  It  is  hard  to  realise  the  anomaly  of  the 
situation.  Here  on  the  isthmus  it  is  but  a  step 
from  the  spot  where  man’s  dominion  over  nature 
is  complete  to  where  nature  runs  riot;  and  but  a 
short  distance  from  the  dwellings  of  the  most 
highly  civilised  society,  employing  the  latest  instru¬ 
ments  of  scientific  precision,  to  the  most  primitive 
huts  occupied  by  a  people  whose  weapons  are  the 
bow  and  arrow,  and  who  exist  upon  game,  fish, 
and  the  fruits  and  roots  of  the  forest.  Within  the 
radius  of  a  few  miles  we  have  the  contrasts  of  the 
dominance  of  nature  by  man  in  the  greatest  feats 
known  to  mechanical,  electrical,  and  sanitary  engi¬ 
neering,  and  the  domination  of  primitive  man  by 
nature,  and  the  terror  of  the  genii  supposed  to 
inhabit  the  elements  and  natural  objects  by  which 
he  is  surrounded.  The  difference  lies  not  so  much 
in  the  variations  of  the  natural  capacities  of  the 
races  as  in  the  elements  of  faith  and  hope  instilled 
into  the  one  through  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  elevates  man  and  makes  him  a  co-worker 
with  God,  and  the  lack  of  any  such  knowledge  of 
God  in  the  other.  Who  can  know  and  feel  this 
without  at  the  same  time  feeling  a  personal  re¬ 
sponsibility  for  the  degraded  condition  of  these 
neglected  and  helpless  brethren  of  the  forest? 

We  were  impressed  on  this  journey  by  the  great 
amount  of  life  seen  in  the  waters  on  the  first  part 


100  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


of  the  trip  and  off  the  coast  of  Ecuador.  Schools 
of  whales  and  porpoises  were  seen  from  time  to 
time  as  well  as  great  numbers  of  rays,  awkwardly 
leaping  from  the  water  and  turning  like  immense 
pancakes.  Turtles  were  seen  swimming  on  the 
surface ;  and  the  occasional  fin  of  a  shark  showing 
above  the  calm  water  reminded  one  that,  inviting 
as  the  water  looked,  a  swim  would  hardly  be  ad¬ 
visable.  One  could  readily  believe  the  stories  told 
of  extraordinary  catches  in  this  happy  hunting 
ground  of  the  deep  sea  fisherman. 

The  aspect  presented  by  the  coast  throughout 
the  whole  length  of  Peru  is  drear  and  desolate. 
Although  we  are  in  the  tropics,  the  sea  air  is  cold 
because  of  the  chilly  current  which  sweeps  north¬ 
ward  from  the  Antarctic  Ocean.  Because  of  the 
absorption  of  moisture  from  the  atmosphere  by 
this  same  cold  current,  there  is  no  rainfall.  For 
the  greater  part  of  the  way  the  barren,  desert 
mountains  rise  directly  from  the  sea.  There  is  not 
a  sprig  of  vegetation  to  be  seen;  the  deep  gorges 
are  partially  filled  with  white  sand  from  the  ocean, 
which  is  driven  up  the  mountain  sides  by  the 
strong  wind.  Traveling  along  the  coast  of  Peru, 
we  are  for  days  in  sight  of  these  dreary,  repelling, 
desert  walls  of  rock.  The  play  of  colours  in  the 
changing  light  upon  the  weathered  cliffs  is  fre¬ 
quently  very  beautiful,  but  the  ever-present  con¬ 
sciousness  that  life  on  such  a  shore  is  impossible, 
robs  the  metallic  beauty  of  its  attraction.  The 


CRISTOBAL  TO  PUNO,  PERU 


101 


only  green  patches  along  the  coast  are  the  irri¬ 
gated  spots  along  the  courses  of  the  small  rivers 
fed  by  the  melting  glaciers  of  the  interior.  Even 
these  are  hidden  from  the  view  of  those  at  sea  by 
the  sand  dunes  between  the  shore  and  the  river  bed. 

The  fish  life  had  attracted  our  attention  off 
Ecuador,  but  it  is  the  abundance  of  bird  life  that 
impresses  one  along  the  coast  farther  south. 
Morning  and  evening  great  flocks  of  long-necked 
black  birds,  flying  a  short  distance  above  the  water 
in  a  long-drawn-out  line  miles  in  length,  give  the 
appearance  of  an  advancing  ocean  wave.  Sluggish 
swarms  of  pelicans  skim  over  the  water  on  their 
way  to  and  from  their  resting  and  feeding  places. 
Perhaps  one  of  the  most  interesting  types  is  a 
smaller  bird  that  flies  in  flocks  overhead  following 
the  schools  of  fish  below.  All  at  once,  apparently 
at  a  signal  from  the  leader,  the  whole  flock  dives 
into  the  sea  with  a  splash,  a  veritable  shower  of 
birds.  Gulls  of  various  types  abound  and,  in  the 
harbours,  the  gambols  of  the  seals  attract  the  at¬ 
tention  of  the  passengers. 

This  great  abundance  of  bird  life  constitutes 
one  of  the  sources  of  wealth  of  Peru.  Because  of 
the  absence  of  rain,  the  droppings  of  these  birds 
are  preserved  indefinitely  on  the  islands  which  they 
choose  as  roosting  and  nesting  places.  The  birds 
are  protected  by  law,  and  Peruvian  “  guano  ”  has 
become  a  household  word  with  the  American  and 
European  farmer.  In  fact,  it  was  largely  the  use 


102  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


of  this  “  guano,”  learned  from  the  Incas,  that  ac¬ 
customed  Europe  and  America  to  the  use  of  arti¬ 
ficial  fertilisers  and  created  the  present  demand, 
causing  the  supply  of  them  to  become  one  of  the 
great  matters  of  international  concern. 

Confusion  is  the  first  impression  of  Callao, 
Peru,  the  seaport  for  the  capital,  Lima,  which  is 
but  seven  miles  away,  and  connected  with  its  sea¬ 
port  by  both  steam  and  trolley  as  well  as  by  a  dis¬ 
reputable  automobile  road.  Our  vessel  does  not 
dock  but  anchors  at  sea  a  mile  or  so  from  the 
customs  wharf.  While  doctor  and  port  officials 
come  aboard,  there  gathers  around  the  gangway, 
at  just  a  little  distance  from  the  ship,  a  large  num¬ 
ber  of  launches  carrying  hotel  runners  and  bag¬ 
gage  men,  each  of  the  latter  with  a  number  on  his 
cap.  As  soon  as  the  quarantine  flag  is  lowered, 
there  is  a  rush  on  the  part  of  all  of  these  boats, 
each  trying  to  reach  the  gangway  first.  Then 
comes  a  scramble.  The  men  on  the  more  distant 
boats  jump  on  to  those  which  are  nearer  the  gang¬ 
way.  Clothing  is  torn,  and  hats  are  lost  in  the 
mad  rush  to  reach  the  deck.  Those  that  cannot 
reach  the  steps  catch  hold  of  the  railing  and  pull 
themselves  up  along  the  outside.  Once  this  rush¬ 
ing,  vociferating  mob  has  arrived  on  board,  how¬ 
ever,  the  whole  attitude  of  each  individual  com¬ 
pletely  changes.  They  become  all  smiles  and  cour¬ 
tesies  as  they  circulate  among  the  passengers, 
showing  their  cards  and  offering  their  services. 


CRISTOBAL  TO  PUNO,  PERU 


103 


Keep  your  stateroom  locked,  however,  and  look 
well  to  your  pocket-book,  for  some  of  the  most 
clever  thievery  in  the  western  world  is  accom¬ 
plished  along  this  coast.  Nevertheless,  it  is  fairly 
safe  to  give  one’s  luggage  to  any  of  the  regular, 
licensed  carriers  with  a  number  on  his  hat. 

From  the  number  of  ticket  venders  in  the  streets, 
and  from  their  insistence  that  you  purchase  a  par¬ 
ticular  ticket  and  thereby  secure  an  easy  fortune, 
one  would  say  that  the  lottery  was  the  biggest 
thing  in  Lima.  In  order  that  you  may  tempt  luck 
in  all  its  forms,  men  and  women,  young  and  old, 
boys  and  girls,  unfortunate  and  prosperous,  crip¬ 
pled  and  well-formed,  ragged  and  richly-dressed, 
idiotic  and  intelligent,  accost  you  at  every  turn, 
follow  you  along  the  street,  one  on  each  side  and 
another  in  front,  meet  you  at  the  hotel  door,  and 
thrust  their  dirty  tickets  before  you  at  the  restau¬ 
rant  tables.  Each  assures  you  that  he  alone  has  the 
lucky  number  which  will  secure  you  a  fortune  at 
the  next  weekly  drawing.  Mr.  A.  T.  Vasquez,  of 
Lima,  remarked,  the  day  of  my  arrival,  that  one- 
third  of  the  people  were  selling  lottery  tickets  and 
the  other  two-thirds  scanning  the  newspapers  to 
discover  if  they  had  drawn  a  prize. 

This  prominence  of  the  lottery  is  an  indication 
of  the  spirit  with  which  the  people  in  this  section 
of  the  world  too  often  face  the  problems  of  life. 
The  Spanish  destroyers  of  the  Indian  civilisations 
and  their  immediate  successors  secured  their  ill- 


104  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


gotten  wealth  too  easily,  and  the  fever  seems  to 
have  permeated  the  blood.  There  is  altogether  too 
common  a  tendency  to  look  upon  wealth  or  upon 
any  prominent  position  secured  in  life  as  having 
been  attained  purely  by  chance.  In  speaking  of 
wealth  acquired  or  of  a  good  position  secured,  the 
most  universal  tendency  is  to  speak  of  the  person 
as  being  lucky.  One  almost  never  hears  reference 
to  good  fortune  as  being  acquired  by  hard  work 
and  perseverance.  Toil  for  the  reward  of  attain¬ 
ing  a  goal  is  unthought  of.  That  labour  can  be  its 
own  reward  does  not  enter  the  imagination.  For 
one  of  any  social  standing  to  work  with  the  hands 
is  unthinkable.  These  ideas  have  tended  to  create 
the  class  of  parasites  of  which  South  American 
writers  complain  so  bitterly. 

Lima,  long  the  most  important  city  in  the  W est- 
ern  Hemisphere,  is  well  laid  out  and  in  many  re¬ 
spects  a  beautiful  city.  It  contains  many  palatial 
dwellings  built  in  the  old  Spanish  style;  boasts  the 
oldest  university  in  the  New  World,  a  public  li¬ 
brary,  a  zoological  garden,  a  museum,  a  cathedral 
on  the  main  plaza  in  which  are  exhibited  the  bones 
of  Pizarro  in  a  glass  case,  several  well-paved 
streets,  and  many  other  features  of  interest. 
These,  however,  do  not  attract  us  at  this  time.  We 
wish  to  penetrate  the  Latin  veneer  of  Peru  and 
learn  more  about  the  Indian  upon  whose  industry 
the  parasitic  urban  population  exists,  his  language, 
his  needs,  and  the  conditions  under  which  he  lives. 


CRISTOBAL  TO  PUNO,  PERU 


105 


During  my  stay  in  Lima  I  succeeded  in  finding 
some  elementary  grammars  and  vocabularies  of  the 
Indian  dialects  so  that  I  was  able  to  begin  a  study 
of  the  Quechua,  the  most  widely  spoken  language 
of  the  Upper  Andean  region. 

From  Callao,  we  took  boat  to  Mollendo,  another 
port  in  Peru  from  which  there  is  railway  com¬ 
munication  with  the  elevated  valleys  and  tableland 
of  the  interior  where  the  Inca  civilisation  reached 
the  acme  of  its  power  and  influence.  Bolivia  is 
also  reached  from  this  port  via  Lake  Titicaca  by 
boat  and  rail  to  La  Paz,  the  capital  of  that  coun¬ 
try,  the  most  thoroughly  Indian  of  all  Indian 
America. 

There  are  but  two  trains  a  week  to  the  town  of 
Puno  on  Lake  Titicaca  with  a  stop-over  in  the 
city  of  Arequipa.  In  Peru  trains  run  only  in  the 
day  time.  For  the  first  few  miles  out  of  Mollendo 
the  railroad  runs  along  the  seashore,  then  turns 
abruptly  to  begin  the  mountain  climb.  About  half 
way  up  the  first  range  of  mountains  we  reach  a 
zone  on  which  clouds  and  fog  hang  for  a  part  of 
the  year.  While  no  rain  falls  here,  the  soil  ab¬ 
sorbs  sufficient  moisture  from  the  heavy  fog  dur¬ 
ing  this  season  to  support  a  scanty  vegetation.  In 
this  zone  I  was  surprised  at  the  abundance  of  wild 
flowers,  mostly  of  a  reddish-yellow  variety.  On 
and  up  we  go,  past  the  clouds  and  over  the  top  of 
the  first  mountain  range  onto  a  wide  desert  plain 
on  which  absolutely  nothing  grows  except  on  the 


106  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


irrigated  spot  near  the  railway  station  at  which  we 
stop  for  water. 

The  next  hour  or  so  of  the  journey  is  across 
this  dry,  dusty  plain,  overspread  with  the  famous 
crescent-shaped  sand  dunes  which  look  like  im¬ 
mense  low-lying  haycocks  covering  the  surface  as 
far  as  eye  can  reach.  This  crossed,  we  again 
begin  to  rise  and  climb  up,  up,  up,  around,  be¬ 
tween,  and  over  piles  of  rock  until  the  summit  of 
the  second  range  is  reached,  and  we  begin  a  grad¬ 
ual  descent  of  the  rugged,  barren  mountain  wall. 
Suddenly,  away  below,  in  the  bottom  of  a  deep 
gorge  at  our  left,  appears  a  narrow  band  of  green, 
the  cultivated  sides  of  the  river,  the  waters  of 
which  are  the  cause  of  the  fertility  of  the  valley 
of  Arequipa.  The  rest  of  the  day  the  way  is  along 
the  sides  of  this  mountain  gorge,  dry  and  desert 
everywhere,  except  at  the  bottom  where  the  width 
of  green  ranges  anywhere  from  a  few  yards  to 
as  many  rods.  The  rainlessness  of  the  section 
through  which  we  are  passing  is  indicated  not  only 
by  the  barrenness  of  the  rocks  of  which  the  moun¬ 
tains  are  composed,  but  by  the  fact  that  the  roofs 
of  the  houses,  as  well  as  the  sides,  are  plastered 
with  mud. 

At  the  stations,  women  bring  for  sale  baskets 
of  the  most  delicious  figs  I  have  ever  tasted.  We 
notice,  as  we  pass  cultivated  patches,  that  the  fig 
trees,  being  more  hardy  than  the  other  plants, 
occupy  the  extreme  outer  edge  of  the  irrigated 


CRISTOBAL  TO  PUNO,  PERU 


107 


space.  Like  the  olive  of  Palestine,  the  fig  gathers 
sweetness  from  the  rock. 

Arequipa  is  not  an  Indian  city,  that  is,  its  in¬ 
habitants  are  Latinised.  Spanish  is  the  language 
of  all,  and  one  sees  very  few  Indians  in  their 
native  costume  on  the  streets.  From  this  point  on, 
however,  we  enter  Indian  America  again. 

I  had  been  surprised  when  told  that  the  business 
activity  in  Arequipa  was  due  to  its  being  an  agri¬ 
cultural  center.  The  territory  through  which  we 
pass  to  reach  the  city  is  arid  and  barren,  and  the 
extent  of  the  narrow  valley  was  not  sufficient  to 
produce  the  business  life  of  so  large  a  population. 
Soon  after  leaving  the  city,  however,  on  our  ascent 
of  the  last  range  of  mountains  before  reaching  the 
central  plateau,  we  enter  the  so-called  agricultural 
country  and  see  the  source  of  the  hides  and  wool, 
the  manufacture  of  which  into  woolen  and  leather 
goods  furnishes  employment  for  so  many  in  the 
city  below.  Herds  of  cattle  and  flocks  of  sheep, 
llamas,  and  alpacas  are  to  be  seen  grazing  on  the 
dry-looking  wiry  grass,  the  presence  of  which  in¬ 
dicates  a  certain  amount  of  regular  rainfall.  The 
railroad  is  built  up  the  side  of  the  volcano  on  a 
roadbed  cut  through  volcanic  ash  and  breccia.  The 
slopes  of  the  mountains  we  are  now  climbing  con¬ 
stitute  an  extensive  grazing  country.  Here  large 
flocks  are  tended  by  Indian  shepherds  and  shep¬ 
herdesses  who  spend  all  their  time  in  the  open  with 
the  animals. 


108  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


There  is  not  much  wild  animal  or  bird  life,  but 
occasionally  small  herds  of  the  fleet  vicuna  are 
seen  scudding  over  the  mountain  sides  away  from 
the  passing  train.  There  are  no  forests.  The 
mountains  of  the  Upper  Andes  are  bare  of  trees. 
The  people  are  dependent  for  fuel  upon  the  dried 
droppings  of  the  flock  and  upon  a  small  shrub 
called  “  tola.*9  In  the  higher  altitudes  where  even 
the  “  tola  ”  will  not  grow,  a  species  of  resinous 
moss  called  “  yareta”  found  in  thick,  dense 
bunches  that  the  inhabitants  say  take  one  hundred 
years  to  grow,  is  the  fuel  used  for  cooking. 

The  change  in  the  character  of  the  vegetation 
as  one  climbs  the  Andes  is  very  noticeable.  At  the 
altitude  of  Arequipa,  corn,  figs,  sugar  cane,  and 
many  other  semi-tropical  products  grow  luxuri¬ 
antly.  One  soon  leaves  the  corn  region  below  and 
finds  wheat  thriving,  while  a  little  higher  it  is  too 
cold  for  wheat,  and  barley  becomes  the  cereal  crop. 
Higher  still,  neither  wheat  nor  barley  can  be 
grown,  and  potatoes  are  practically  the  only  crop. 
Even  potatoes  will  not  grow  in  the  higher  alti¬ 
tudes  where  are  found  only  the  slow-growing  moss 
and  a  short,  wiry  grass  which  forms  pasture  for 
sheep  and  llama  almost  up  to  the  snow  line. 

As  in  the  case  of  a  sea  voyage  some  passenger 
is  almost  sure  to  be  seasick,  so,  on  a  train  climbing 
the  mountains  of  South  America,  some  one  is 
almost  sure  to  have  the  mountain  sickness.  While 
people  are  differently  affected,  this  sickness  usually 


CRISTOBAL  TO  PUNO,  PERU 


109 


begins  with  a  maddening  headache.  I  have  seen 
strong  men  lose  consciousness.  Others  have  severe 
attacks  of  vomiting.  Some  do  not  suffer  much 
inconvenience  on  changing  rapidly  from  a  lower 
to  a  higher  altitude.  Others  do  not  care  to  make 
the  trip  in  one  day,  but  stay  over  a  day  or  two  at 
some  point,  half  way  up,  in  order  to  accustom 
themselves  gradually  to  the  change.  Since  the  in¬ 
convenience  is  caused  by  partial  asphyxiation  due 
to  the  lack  of  oxygen  in  the  air,  those  who  are  sub¬ 
ject  to  it  can  sometimes  avoid  an  attack  by  constant 
deep  breathing  during  the  ascent,  thereby  keeping 
the  blood  well  oxygenated. 

One  notes  the  primitive  industries  which  the 
Indian  shepherds  carry  on  while  tending  their 
flocks.  They  are  seen  at  the  sides  of  the  streams 
washing  small  lots  of  wool  which  they  spread  out 
on  the  stones  to  dry.  They  then  pull  it  out  into  a 
fluffy  mass  which  they  carry  around  with  them, 
converting  it,  as  they  journey,  into  strong  yarn  by 
means  of  a  primitive  spindle  which  hangs  sus¬ 
pended  by  the  fibers  of  the  wool  itself.  The  wool 
is  fed  to  it  from  the  fluffy  bundle  under  the  arm 
and  the  spindle  kept  in  motion  by  an  occasional 
twirl.  A  woven  sling  is  a  constant  accompani¬ 
ment  of  every  shepherd,  man,  woman,  boy,  or  girl. 
The  slings  are  used  to  keep  the  flocks  together  by 
throwing  stones  ahead  of,  or  at,  any  straying  ani¬ 
mal.  Many  shepherdesses  are  seen  carrying  bun¬ 
dles  on  their  backs  in  a  brightly-coloured  cloth 


110  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


suspended  around  the  neck  by  tying  the  comers 
together.  Within  this  bundle  is  invariably  hid¬ 
den  the  youngest  member  of  the  shepherd 
family,  whose  face  is  frequently  seen  peering  out 
of  the  folds  of  the  woolen  wrap  by  which  he  is 
suspended. 

A  constant  climb  of  several  hours  from  Are- 
quipa  brings  us  to  the  summit.  The  highest  point 
reached  on  this  journey  is  between  14,000  and 
15,000  feet  above  sea  level.  The  cold,  piercing, 
rarefied  atmosphere  of  the  summit  becomes  more 
endurable  as  we  descend  to  the  drab,  bleak,  cheer¬ 
less,  treeless  plain  over  which  flocks  of  sheep, 
llamas,  and  alpacas  are  roaming  and  feeding  on 
the  dry  grass.  They  are  tended  by  Indians  who 
live  in  small  one-roomed,  grass-covered  adobe  huts, 
in  the  vicinity  of  each  of  which  is  the  mud-walled 
enclosure  for  the  flocks.  The  scene  is  dreary, 
monotonous,  and  desolate. 

Puno,  the  railway  terminal  on  Lake  Titicaca  in 
South-Central  Peru,  is  the  capital  of  the  Depart¬ 
ment  of  the  same  name,  which  includes  the  Peru¬ 
vian  section  of  the  Lake  Titicaca  basin.  The  city 
is  inhabited  by  both  Aymara  and  Quechua  speak¬ 
ing  Indians.  The  Aymaras  were  the  only  race 
brought  under  the  Inca  rule  who  were  allowed  to 
retain  their  own  language.  Quechua  is  the  lan¬ 
guage  spoken  by  all  other  Indians  of  the  central 
Andean  region  from  Quito,  Ecuador,  to  Bolivia 
and  the  borders  of  Argentine  and  Chile.  This 


CRISTOBAL  TO  PUNO,  PERU 


111 


being  the  language  of  the  Incas  was  imposed  on 
all  tribes  assimilated  by  them. 

Before  the  train  stopped  at  Puno,  our  car  was 
boarded  by  a  crowd  of  Aymara  Indian  boys  and 
men,  vociferating,  pushing,  crowding  one  another 
and  everybody  else  as  they  forced  their  way 
through  the  aisle  in  their  struggle  to  be  the  first  to 
improve  the  opportunity  to  earn  a  few  cents  by 
carrying  our  hand  baggage. 

In  spite  of  their  picturesqueness  as  seen  from 
the  train,  guarding  their  flocks  or  driving  their 
trains  of  llamas,  the  women,  bulkily-skirted,  carry¬ 
ing  their  gaudy  bundles  and  the  men  in  their 
highly-coloured  ponchos,  it  would  be  hard  to 
imagine  a  more  repulsive  lot  than  these  Highland 
Indians.  With  faces  disfigured  by  the  pouch 
formed  in  the  cheek  by  the  constant  presence  of 
the  large  quid  of  coca  leaves,  lips  and  corners  of 
the  mouth  filthy  with  green  saliva,  eyes  dull,  ex¬ 
pression  apathetic,  bodies  that  are  never  bathed 
clothed  in  rags  that  are  never  washed,  they  would 
be  repulsive  in  the  extreme  without  taking  into 
account  the  odours  emitted  from  their  bodies  and 
liquor-laden  breaths.  Passengers  are  obliged  to 
push  their  way  out  of  the  car  and  down  the  steps 
through  this  repellent  crowd  which  the  Railroad 
Company  apparently  makes  no  effort  to  restrain  or 
organise  in  the  interests  of  the  traveling  public.  I 
was  in  no  hurry  and  remained  in  my  seat,  but  it 
resulted  only  in  causing  a  number  of  boys  to  stand 


112  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


near,  blocking  the  way  for  those  who  were  trying 
to  leave  the  car.  When  I  found  that  there  was 
practically  no  choice  in  point  of  cleanliness  between 
the  different  members  of  the  crowd  clamouring  for 
my  baggage,  I  delivered  my  grips  to  one  of  the 
foremost  who  immediately  tied  them  together  with 
a  rawhide  rope  and  placed  them  on  his  back  in 
contact  with  his  vile  clothing. 

As  soon  as  I  began  to  walk,  I  found  that  I  was 
being  threatened  with  an  attack  of  mountain  sick¬ 
ness  which  I  had  hoped  to  avoid  by  deep  breathing. 
The  fact  is,  I  had  become  so  interested  in  conver¬ 
sation  with  my  fellow-passengers  that  I  had  not 
been  very  faithful  in  employing  the  preventive.  I 
found  it  best  to  walk  very  moderately  on  the  way 
to  the  Mission  home  with  Mr.  H.  M.  Colburn,  of 
the  Lake  Titicaca  Mission,  who  had  kindly  met  me 
at  the  station.  Mrs.  Field,  the  missionary  mother, 
who  has  three  children  on  this  held  at  work  among 
the  Indians,  had  supper  ready  for  us.  The  first 
taste  of  food,  however,  revealed  the  fact  that  my 
stomach  was  in  no  condition  to  retain  it,  and  I 
begged  permission  to  leave  the  table  and  lie  on  the 
sofa.  I  was  able  thus  to  join  in  the  conversation. 

A  clean,  intelligent-looking,  pleasant-faced  In¬ 
dian  girl  convert  was  waiting  on  the  table  and 
doing  the  work  of  the  house.  Her  smile  was  the 
hrst  I  had  seen  on  the  face  of  an  Indian  in  Peru. 
During  the  evening,  some  Indian  converts  who 
were  passing  through  the  town  came  in  to  see  the 


CRISTOBAL  TO  PUNO,  PERU 


113 


missionaries.  The  difference  between  these  callers 
and  the  Indians  seen  at  the  station  was  very  strik¬ 
ing.  These  were  clean,  stalwart,  bright-looking 
men.  The  difference  in  their  appearance  was  due 
to  the  fact  that  they  had  given  up  the  use  of  drink 
and  coca,  and  had  begun  to  cultivate  habits  of 
cleanliness.  Contact  with  the  mission  had  made 
such  a  change  that  it  was  hard  to  realise  that  these 
men  belonged  to  the  same  race  as  the  repulsive 
beings  met  at  the  station. 

It  was  easy  to  understand  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
young  missionaries  who  are  cheerfully  enduring 
the  privation,  isolation  and  discomforts  of  life  in 
this  altitude.  Results  such  as  these  constitute  the 
“  hundred  fold  in  this  life.”  I  eagerly  accepted 
the  invitation  to  visit  Plateria,  the  first  station 
established  by  the  Mission. 


VIII 


THE  HIGHLANDS  OK  SOUTHERN  PERU 

1AKE  TITICACA,  between  Peru  and  Bo- 
|  livia,  is  the  highest  body  of  navigable  water 
in  the  world,  its  surface  being  12,500  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea  and  but  500  feet  below 
the  average  level  of  the  irregular  plateau  upon 
which  it  lies.  One  hundred  and  thirty  miles  long 
by  thirty  wide,  measuring  seven  hundred  feet  at 
its  greatest  depth,  flooding  many  shallow  indenta¬ 
tions  among  the  surrounding  hills,  it  is  dotted  with 
picturesque  islands  upon  which  as  well  as  upon  its 
southern  shore  are  prehistoric  ruins  of  whose 
builders  not  even  a  tradition  remains. 

While  not  teeming  with  life,  as  does  Lake  Tex- 
coco  of  Mexico,  the  lake  is  frequented  by  multi¬ 
tudes  of  swimming  and  wading  birds.  One  sees 
flocks  of  beautiful  long-legged  flamingos,  curved- 
beaked  ibises,  herons,  and  cranes  among  the  wad¬ 
ers.  Of  the  swimmers,  ducks,  grebes,  gulls,  and 
some  geese  are  seen.  A  few  hours’  hunt  with  a 
twenty-two  caliber  rifle  secured  a  very  good  bag 
of  various  bird  specimens  which  I  sent  to  the 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History  in  New 
York.  Owing  to  defective  preparation,  however, 

114 


HIGHLANDS  OF  SOUTHERN  PERU  115 


they  did  not  arrive  in  good  shape  and  could  not  be 
mounted.  Many  of  these  birds  nest  upon  the 
islands  of  floating  weeds  in  the  shallow  inlets  and 
marshes.  The  gathering  of  the  eggs  as  well  as  the 
catching  of  a  species  of  small  fish  inhabiting  the 
water  furnish  a  supplementary  occupation  and 
means  of  existence  to  the  hard-pressed  Indian 
population.  Upon  the  shores  of  the  lake  are 
pastured  llamas,  and  flocks  of  very  inferior  sheep, 
while  a  degenerated  race  of  cattle  feed  upon  the 
reeds  growing  in  the  shallow  parts.  The  cattle 
wade  in  up  to  their  sides  and,  putting  their  heads 
under  the  cold  water,  seize  the  soft,  tender  part  of 
the  reed  and  pull  and  bite  it  off,  then,  with  raised 
head,  chew  and  swallow  the  delicate  morsel.  I  am 
told  that  cattle  and  sheep  deteriorate  very  quickly 
at  this  altitude,  whether  from  the  effects  of  the 
rarefied  atmosphere,  the  constant  cold,  the  lack  of 
proper  nourishment,  or  as  a  result  of  all  three, 
none  of  my  informants  seemed  to  know. 

A  notable  feature  of  the  lake  is  the  peculiar  reed 
called  “  totora  ”  that  grows  upon  its  bottom  in  all 
shallow  places.  Among  its  many  uses  it  is  eaten 
by  the  dwarfed  cattle;  the  lower  white  portion  is 
used  as  food  by  the  Indians  themselves.  Dried,  it 
is  used  in  the  manufacture  of  rude  mats  and  par¬ 
titions.  Finally,  long  bundles  of  it  are  so  tied  to¬ 
gether  as  to  form  the  light  boat  or  raft  on  which 
the  Indians  have  from  time  immemorial  navigated 
the  lake,  and  which  is  unlike  anything  found  else- 


116  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


where.  Even  the  sails  of  this  singular  craft  are 
made  from  this  useful  reed. 

A  most  primitive  kind  of  agriculture  is  pursued 
by  the  inhabitants  of  the  terraced  hills  and  en¬ 
closed  plains  of  interior  Peru.  The  ground  is 
broken  with  a  short-handled,  heavy  hoe,  or,  if  oxen 
are  used,  with  a  primitive  wooden  plow.  The  hard 
clods  are  then  broken  up  with  a  long-handled  ham¬ 
mer  made  by  tying  a  stone  onto  the  end  of  a  stick. 
Grain  is  beaten  from  the  straw  with  sticks,  then 
tossed  into  the  air  to  allow  the  wind  to  blow  away 
the  chaff. 

The  Indians  throughout  this  elevated  region  are 
forced  to  a  standard  of  living  little  above  the  ani¬ 
mals  they  tend.  Exhausted  from  the  labours  of 
the  day,  the  Indian  throws  himself  upon  the  mud 
floor  of  his  hut  where  he  passes  the  night  with  no 
other  cover  than  the  poncho  which  has  served  to 
protect  him  during  the  day.  I  was  inclined  to  be 
skeptical  when  a  fellow-traveler,  a  mining  engi¬ 
neer,  told  me  that  he  had  frequently  come  across 
huts  so  small  that  there  was  not  room  enough  for 
the  many  occupants  to  lie  down  on  the  floor,  and 
that  they  passed  the  night  in  a  crouching  position, 
huddled  together  like  a  lot  of  sheep.  My  skepti¬ 
cism  vanished,  however,  when,  after  telling  a  mis¬ 
sionary  nurse  of  this  statement,  she  said : 

“  Oh,  yes.  It  is  perfectly  true.  I  was  called  a 
short  time  ago  to  a  confinement  case  where  there 
were  thirteen  persons  in  the  one-roomed  hut  with 


HIGHLANDS  OF  SOUTHERN  PERU  117 


the  sick  woman.  I  immediately  ordered  them  all 
out  of  doors.  Later,  I  found  it  was  raining  and 
that  they  were  standing  against  the  sides  of  the  hut 
under  the  eaves  trying  to  keep  dry.  I  allowed 
them  to  return  and  stretched  a  sheet  across  a 
corner  of  the  room  to  secure  what  privacy  I  could 
for  the  woman  and  thus  attended  to  her,  with  the 
other  thirteen  persons  present.” 

The  climate  of  the  tableland,  except  in  sheltered 
areas,  is  too  cold  for  wheat,  and  the  principal  crops 
are  barley  and  potatoes.  The  cereal  diet  is  parched 
barley.  Besides  barley  and  potatoes  and  grass  for 
pastures  of  the  llamas,  alpacas,  and  sheep,  the  soil 
produces  a  small  seed  called  “  quinua  ”  and  a  cer¬ 
tain  oxalis  bulb  that  is  prepared  in  the  same  way 
as  the  potato. 

The  potatoes  are  preserved  in  a  manner  peculiar, 
I  think,  to  Peru  and  Bolivia.  After  being  dug, 
they  are  left  exposed  to  the  cold,  frosty  air  of  the 
night  and  allowed  to  freeze  solid.  The  following 
day  when  the  heat  of  the  sun  has  thawed  them  out, 
leaving  each  potato  a  soft  mass,  the  Indians  tread 
on  them,  pressing  out  the  water  with  their  feet. 
They  are  then  left  exposed  to  the  sun  until  per¬ 
fectly  dry.  This  leaves  the  potato  a  light  ball  of 
starch  which  can  be  preserved  indefinitely.  This 
dried  potato  or  “  chuno as  it  is  called,  then  be¬ 
comes  an  article  of  commerce  very  easy  of  trans¬ 
portation  on  the  backs  of  llamas.  It  is  prepared 
for  food  by  being  beaten  in  a  mortar  into  small 


118  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


pieces,  soaked  over  night  in  water,  and  afterwards 
boiled. 

Deep,  cold,  and  cheerless,  reflecting  treeless, 
snow-clad  mountains  upon  the  limpid  surface,  the 
waters  of  the  overflow  of  Lake  Titicaca  irrigate  no 
fertile  plains  but  stagnate  and  evaporate  in  the 
salt  marshes  of  southern  Bolivia.  The  fate  of  this 
disappearing  inland  sea  is  typical  of  that  of  the 
sad,  taciturn,  depressed  Indian  race  vegetating 
upon  its  borders  in  misery,  hopelessness,  and  vice. 
A  new  element  has,  however,  been  recently  intro¬ 
duced  into  the  Indian  life  of  the  Department  of 
Puno.  An  American  couple,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  A. 
Stahl,  decided  to  devote  themselves  to  service 
among  the  Indians  of  this  inhospitable  region  and 
led  in  the  founding  of  the  Lake  Titicaca  Mission 
of  the  Seventh  Day  Adventists.  This  mission, 
which  is  succeeding  beyond  the  dreams  of  its 
founders  and  friends,  bids  fair  to  revolutionise  the 
Lake  District.  These  missionaries  seem  to  have 
found  the  key  to  the  problem  of  winning  the  In¬ 
dian’s  confidence  and  faith  and  stirring  up  his  en¬ 
thusiasm  and  ambition,  qualities  he  had  been  sup¬ 
posed  to  lack  entirely. 

On  my  first  trip  to  Lima,  a  Peruvian  doctor  had 
boarded  the  ship  at  Salaverry  and  on  learning  that, 
as  representative  of  the  American  Bible  Society,  it 
was  part  of  my  business  to  visit  the  Protestant 
Mission  stations,  had  said : 

“  The  Protestants  are  doing  a  great  deal  of  good 


HIGHLANDS  OF  SOUTHERN  PERU  119 


work  among  the  Indians  in  the  Puno  district. 
Their  good  work  helped  us  to  secure  religious 
liberty  in  Peru.” 

He  did  not  think  we  were  likely  to  do  much 
among  the  white  people,  but  the  “  Protestants  are 
making  men  out  of  the  Indians.”  I  had  heard 
much  of  this  missionary  work  in  the  Lake  Titicaca 
region,  and  was  therefore  very  glad  of  this  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  see  for  myself  the  methods  that  had  been 
employed  with  such  good  results  by  the  Adventist 
missionaries.  Started  twelve  years  ago  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  F.  A.  Stahl,  the  mission  has  had  a  steady  and 
rapid  growth  until  now,  1923,  they  have  a  church 
membership  of  over  5,000,  seventy-eight  day 
schools  with  3,700  pupils  in  attendance,  taught  by 
nearly  one  hundred  native  teachers,  under  the 
supervision  of  American  missionaries. 

I  found  the  missionaries,  all  young  married 
couples,  enduring  cheerfully  all  manner  of  hard¬ 
ships.  Not  only  are  they  exposed  to  the  diseases 
of  filth,  typhoid,  typhus,  and  smallpox,  as  well  as 
various  skin  diseases  to  which  the  Indians  are  sub¬ 
ject,  but  the  climate  is  always  too  cold  for  comfort. 
Houses  are  of  mud,  and  not  heated.  In  places,  the 
only  available  fuel  is  the  dung  of  the  llama  gath¬ 
ered  by  the  shepherds.  The  piercing  cold  air  chaps 
the  hands,  peels  the  face,  and  keeps  the  lips  con¬ 
stantly  cracked  and  bleeding.  Living  at  these  alti¬ 
tudes  not  only  puts  an  extra  strain  upon  the  heart 
but  affects  unfavourably  the  whole  nervous  system. 


129  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


These  young  people  were,  however,  enthusiastic 
over  their  work,  because  of  the  success  they  were 
having  in  changing  the  lives  and  outlook  of  their 
beloved  Indians.  In  company  with  Mr.  H.  M. 
Colburn  I  visited  Plateria,  where  the  mission  sum¬ 
mer  school  for  teachers  was  in  session.  There  I 
saw  seventy-six  young  men  and  six  young  Indian 
women  in  a  large,  unfinished  church  building  of 
adobe  that  they  had  helped  to  complete  since  arriv¬ 
ing  at  Plateria  for  the  school  session,  studying  to 
become  better  fitted  to  teach  their  own  people. 
There  having  been  delay  in  getting  the  building 
ready,  these  teachers  and  prospective  teachers  had 
cheerfully  carried  bricks  to  complete  the  walls,  and 
put  on  the  zinc  roof  with  their  own  hands  in  order 
to  have  the  building  ready  for  this  summer  school. 
The  rainy  season  had  commenced  when  I  arrived. 
The  mud  floor  was  damp.  Doors  and  windows 
were  wanting.  The  American  missionaries  sat  in 
their  overcoats  and  wraps.  The  students  were 
gathered  around  tables  and  seated  on  backless 
benches.  It  would  be  hard  to  imagine  a  normal 
school  working  under  less  favourable  conditions. 
I  spoke  to  them  three  times  with  my  overcoat  on, 
and  this  was  their  summer. 

The  date  of  my  first  visit  was  December  24th 
and  25th,  Christmas,  1921.  Saturday,  the  24th,  was 
given  to  religious  services  for  the  community,  and 
to  the  Bible  school.  Sunday  there  was  no  school 
session,  and  students  could  be  seen,  singly  and  in 


QUECHUA  AND  AYMARA  INDIANS  APPEALING  TO 
SUPT.  WILCOX  OF  ADVENTIST  MISSION  TO  ES¬ 
TABLISH  SCHOOLS  IN  THEIR  VILLAGES. 

CHRISTIAN  PUPILS  AND  TEACHERS  CELEBRATING 
INDEPENDENCE  DAY,  PLATER  I  A,  PERU. 


HIGHLANDS  OF  SOUTHERN  PERU  121 

groups,  sitting  on  the  sunny  side  of  buildings, 
rocks,  and  slopes,  struggling  with  the  intricacies  of 
Spanish  grammar,  a  language  foreign  to  them, 
grappling  with  problems  in  arithmetic  or  studying 
a  geography,  history,  or  Bible  lesson.  There  was 
a  greater  percentage  of  these  students  applying 
themselves  to  their  work  than  would  be  found  dur¬ 
ing  a  holiday  in  any  school  of  the  home  land. 

Plateria  is  a  twenty-mile  horseback  ride  from 
Puno  and  is  a  purely  Indian  community.  On  the 
way  out,  I  had  noticed  the  affection  with  which 
many  whom  we  met  saluted  Mr.  Colburn  as 
“  Brother.”  Arriving  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Mission  station,  it  was  easy  to  see  the  influence  of 
the  mission  upon  the  lives  and  homes  of  the  people. 
There  were  attempts  at  cleanliness  not  to  be  seen 
elsewhere.  Even  windows  were  to  be  seen  in  some 
of  the  huts.  Bight  having  come  into  the  lives  of 
the  people,  they  wanted  it  in  their  homes  also. 

It  did  one’s  heart  good  to  see  the  cheerful,  earn¬ 
est  aspect  of  these  young  Indian  students.  There 
is  not  another  such  group  in  all  America  south  of 
Mexico.  Their  presence  was  abundant  proof  that 
when  an  Indian  has  something  to  live  for,  his  en¬ 
thusiasm  can  be  aroused.  Not  only  are  these 
young  people  teachers ;  they  are  lay  evangelists  and 
colporteurs  as  well.  During  my  visit  at  this  sum¬ 
mer  school  they  promised  to  take  back  to  their 
homes  and  sell  more  than  10,000  Gospels  and  1,000 
Bibles  during  the  coming  year*  and  they  more  that\ 


122  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


fulfilled  their  promise.  They  took  great  pride  in 
telling  me  of  the  success  of  the  work  of  the  Gospel 
in  the  Lake  Titicaca  region  during  the  year.  At 
that  time,  the  missionaries  told  me  they  thought 
that  the  number  of  baptisms  would  reach  1,000. 
When  reports  finally  came  in,  it  was  found  that 
more  than  1,200  had  been  baptised  and  received 
into  the  church  during  the  year. 

Every  Indian  convert  gives  up  the  use  of 
“  chicha  ”  an  intoxicating  drink  manufactured 
locally;  the  chewing  of  “  coca”  leaves,  and  none  of 
them  use  tobacco.  When  the  deadening  effects  of 
the  coca  habit  have  disappeared,  the  countenance 
of  the  Indian  is  no  longer  dull  and  apathetic.  He 
becomes  intelligent  and  alert,  and  there  is  a  ten¬ 
dency  to  clean  up  body,  clothing,  and  home;  also 
a  desire  to  learn  to  read  and  make  something  of 
themselves. 

The  method  of  procedure  of  the  Adventist  mis¬ 
sionaries  has  been  as  follows :  a  desirable  location, 
from  which  manv  Indians  can  be  reached,  is  se- 
cured.  The  missionary  and  wife  locating  there  at 
once  begin  treatment  of  the  sick,  followed  by 
preaching  and  teaching.  A  school  is  soon  opened 
at  the  station.  As  the  work  spreads,  other  centers 
want  schools,  and  out-stations  are  established  in 
charge  of  native  teachers.  So  great  is  the  demand 
for  schools  that  frequently  the  teachers  are  but 
boys  in  the  primary  grades.  They  are  able,  how¬ 
ever,  to  teach  what  they  have  learned  to  those  who 


HIGHLANDS  OF  SOUTHERN  PERU  123 


know  nothing  at  all  of  letters.  It  is  significant  of 
the  rapidity  with  which  the  work  is  spreading  and 
of  the  way  in  which  available  teaching  material  is 
pressed  into  service,  that  the  mission  made  it  a  rule 
last  year  not  to  send  out  any  more  young  men  as 
teachers  who  had  not  themselves  passed  the  fourth 
grade ! 

The  missionary  in  charge  of  the  central  station 
visits  the  out-stations  regularly  for  clinical  work 
at  the  dispensaries  and  to  supervise  the  work  being 
done  by  the  native  teachers,  as  well  as  for  preach¬ 
ing  and  organising.  The  best  scholars  from  the 
out-stations  are  brought  to  the  central  school  where 
the  missionaries  live.  Here  they  live  upon  food 
brought  to  them  by  their  parents  and  sleep  on  the 
floor  of  the  hut  of  some  friend  while  studying 
under  the  more  direct  supervision  of  the  mission¬ 
ary.  The  brightest  of  these  selected  pupils,  if  they 
show  any  aptitude  for  teaching,  are  sent  to  the 
Normal  School  at  Juliaca.  The  attendance  at  the 
summer  normal  is  compulsory  for  all  who  are  at¬ 
tempting  to  teach.  Thus,  each  year  the  workers  go 
out  better  qualified  for  their  tasks  than  they  had 
been  the  preceding  year. 

Not  only  do  the  missionaries  help  the  sick,  look 
after  the  schools,  and  preach,  but  they  frequently 
protect  the  Indians  against  the  injustices  that  the 
landlords  attempt  to  perpetrate  upon  them  in  de¬ 
priving  them  of  their  lands  and  animals  and  forc¬ 
ing  them  to  perform  illegal  services.  There  have 


124  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


been  cases  where  they  have  appealed,  over  the 
heads  of  the  local  authorities,  directly  to  the  Presi¬ 
dent,  insisting  upon  respect  for  the  laws  protecting 
the  Indian.  They  also  help  them  to  settle  quarrels 
among  themselves  without  going  to  law.  Hence, 
while  the  parasitic  landlords,  priests,  and  lawyers 
hate  the  missionary  for  the  protection  he  gives  the 
Indians,  the  latter  look  upon  him  as  their  best 
friend. 

News  of  these  sympathetic  white  people  who 
love  and  help  the  Indians  has  spread  through  all 
the  region,  and  now  the  missionaries  are  con¬ 
stantly  receiving  petitions  from  distant  villages  and 
communities,  asking  that  they  come  and  establish 
schools.  During  the  past  year,  one  hundred  and 
seventy  such  applications  for  teachers  were  turned 
down  because  of  lack  of  workers.  The  mission  is 
teaching  self-help  and  now  requires  the  applicants 
to  build  a  schoolhouse  and  to  promise  help  towards 
the  support  of  a  teacher  before  it  will  consider 
opening  a  school. 

A  short  time  ago  some  representative  Indians 
came  a  distance  of  seven  days’  journey,  laid  120 
soles,  about  $40.00  gold,  on  the  missionaries’  desk, 
and  said  they  wanted  a  teacher.  The  money  was 
sufficient  to  pay  six  month’s  salary.  They  were 
told  that  there  was  no  one  ready  who  was  fit  to 
teach,  but  that  if  they  would  return  home  and  put 
up  a  school  building,  the  mission  would  try  to  have 
a  boy  ready  to  send  them.  They  left  the  money 


HIGHLANDS  OF  SOUTHERN  PERU  125 


with  the  missionary  and  returned  home.  Before 
long  they  came  back,  accompanied  by  others,  say¬ 
ing  :  “  Now  we  are  ready.  We  have  built  three 
school-houses.  We  want  three  teachers  ” !  !  ! 

An  Indian  chief  came  from  a  long  distance  to 
Plateria,  asking  for  a  teacher  to  take  to  his  people 
and  promising  to  support  him.  Upon  being  told 
that  there  was  no  one  who  could  go,  he  refused  to 
return  home.  He  said  that  he  had  promised  his 
people  to  bring  them  a  teacher  and  that  he  could 
not  go  back  to  them  and  say  he  had  failed.  He 
waited  in  the  place  ten  days,  refusing  to  take 
“  No  ”  for  an  answer.  Finally  the  missionary 
went  into  the  school  and  asked  for  a  volunteer  to 
go  and  help  this  man’s  people  learn  to  read.  A  boy 
from  the  fourth  grade  volunteered,  was  sent,  and 
is  doing  well. 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  Adventists  are  using 
the  logical  and  Scriptural  method  of  approach. 
Preaching,  unless  it  carries  with  it  sympathetic 
help  for  the  body  as  well,  cannot  be  expected 
to  accomplish  much  among  this  needy  people. 
“  Whoso  hath  this  world’s  good  and  seeth  his 
brother  have  need  and  shutteth  up  his  bowels  of 
compassion  from  him,  how  dwelleth  the  love  of 
God  in  him  ?  ”  Every  mission  to  the  Indians 
should  have  three  lines  of  activity,  three  legs  as  it 
were  to  stand  on,  the  missionary  tripod  composed 
of  healing,  teaching,  preaching.  This  was  the 
method  of  the  Master;  and  is  the  method  of  ap- 


126  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


proach  being  used  so  successfully  in  reaching  the 
hearts  of  the  Indians  in  the  Lake  Titicaca  region. 
For  many  reasons  agricultural  and  industrial 
teaching  should,  however,  go  hand  in  hand  with 
teaching  to  read.  This  industrial  education,  I  am 
told,  will  henceforth  be  given  in  the  new  Normal 
school  now  being  completed  at  Juliaca,  Peru. 

During  the  year  1921,  some  young  American 
missionaries,  Messrs.  Paul  Cragin  and  W.  F. 
Barker,  located  with  their  families  in  Yungay, 
Peru.  They  were  thoroughly  in  earnest  and  en¬ 
thusiastic  ;  but  had  confined  their  efforts  to  preach¬ 
ing  only.  As  I  was  leaving  Peru  I  met  Mr.  Barker 
and  family  in  Callao.  They  had  been  driven  out 
of  Yungay  by  a  mob  of  Indians,  led  by  Franciscan 
friars.  The  rains  were  late  in  coming,  the  friars 
told  the  Indians  that  the  drought  was  due  to  the 
presence  of  the  Protestants,  and  that  they  must  be 
driven  out  before  they  could  expect  God’s  blessing 
upon  their  crops. 

One  of  these  friars,  Leonardo  Garcia,  published 
a  leaflet  inserted  in  “  El  Comercio  ”  of  Lima,  the 
5th  of  December,  1921,  justifying  their  action. 
He  writes : 

“  We  did  not  ask  and  secure  the  expulsion  of  the 
Protestants  because  of  their  ideas,  but  because,  by 
reason  of  their  public  preaching  in  the  plaza  and 
in  the  streets,  they  were  a  menace  to  the  integrity 
of  the  Catholic  religion  and  purity  of  customs; 
because  they  come  to  upset  public  order,  sowing 


HIGHLANDS  OF  SOUTHERN  PERU  127 


tares  and  division  in  the  villages;  because  their 
public  preaching  will  deprive  the  Indian  of  his  re¬ 
ligion  and,  with  it,  the  fear  of  God  and  respect 
which  he  has  for  the  priests,  the  only  things  which 
restrain  his  indomitable  passions  and  native  hatred 
for  the  white  man.” 

The  missionaries  had  been  labouring  with  some 
success.  There  had  been  a  few  genuine  conver¬ 
sions.  They  had  not,  however,  done  any  medical 
or  educational  work  whatever;  therefore  had  not 
established  themselves  in  the  hearts  of  the  Indians 
by  creating  a  point  of  contact  and  supplying  a  felt 
and  recognised  need;  hence  the  friars  were  able  to 
work  upon  the  superstitions  of  the  people  and 
arouse  the  mob.  In  the  field  where  the  Adventists 
are  working,  they  have  so  found  their  way  into  the 
heart  of  the  Indian  by  their  interest  in  his  temporal 
welfare  that  their  influence  among  them  exceeds 
that  of  the  Roman  clergy.  The  latter  have  never 
done  anything  of  an  uplifting  nature  for  the  In¬ 
dians  during  the  centuries  of  contact. 

Learning  the  experiences  of  Brothers  Barker 
and  Cragin  from  the  mouth  of  Mr.  Barker  con¬ 
firmed  my  conviction  that  the  Gospel  must  be 
preached  to  the  Indian  through  the  love  of  Christ 
expressing  itself  in  activities  for  his  welfare,  as 
well  as  in  preaching  the  Gospel  by  word  of  mouth. 
In  the  case  of  the  Indian,  after  his  cruel  experi¬ 
ences  with  the  white  man,  actions  speak  louder 
than  words. 


IX 


BEAUTIFUL  LA  PAZ 

HE  position  of  Bolivia  in  South  America 
may  in  some  respects  be  compared  to  that 
of  Switzerland  in  Europe.  It  is  a  land¬ 
locked  country  having  no  seaport,  and  it  contains 
the  highest  mountains  of  the  lofty  range  that  trav¬ 
erses  the  Western  Continent.  Here,  however, 
the  likeness  ends.  Switzerland  is  small,  while 
sparsely-populated  Bolivia  embraces  a  vast  unde¬ 
veloped  domain  in  the  tropical  Amazon  valley — 
eightv-four  percent  of  the  population  of  Bolivia, 
however,  dwell  in  this  mountainous  region. 
Whereas  the  people  of  Switzerland  are  self- 
governing,  alert,  and  progressive  Europeans,  but 
twelve  percent  of  the  population  of  Bolivia  are 
white.  More  than  fifty  percent  of  the  rest  are 
pure  Indian,  mentally  dull,  apathetic,  and  non¬ 
progressive,  and  the  remaining  mixed  race  speak 
the  Indian  languages  in  preference  to  Spanish. 
The  enslaved,  landless  condition  of  the  native  ele¬ 
ment  coupled  with  ignorance  and  the  vices  of  drink 
and  coca  chewing  are  the  causes  of  this  stagnation 
here,  as  in  Peru  and  elsewhere  in  Indian  America. 

The  night  boat  from  Puno,  Peru,  arrives  at  the 

128 


BEAUTIFUL  LA  PAZ 


129 


Bolivian  port  of  Guaqui  at  about  ten  the  following 
morning.  La  Paz  is  but  a  few  hours’  run  from 
Guaqui,  and  is  reached  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
same  day.  I  was  fortunate  in  having  as  traveling 
companion  on  this  journey  Professor  E.  C.  Phil¬ 
lips,  of  Lakeman,  Mo.,  a  member  of  the  American 
Educational  Mission  to  Peru.  We  rose  before 
daylight  in  order  to  witness  one  of  the  grandest 
sights  in  the  two  Americas — sunrise  on  Lake  Titi¬ 
caca,  in  full  view  of  the  eighty  or  more  unbroken 
miles  of  snow-capped  peaks  of  the  Cordillera  Real, 
the  loftiest  portion  of  the  Western  World. 

It  was  hard  to  realise  that  we  were  within  the 
tropics.  In  spite  of  overcoats  and  gloves  the  pierc¬ 
ing,  cold  wind  made  us  seek  the  protection  of  the 
smokestack.  We  were  amply  rewarded,  however, 
when  with  the  morning  light  these  magnificent 
mountains  burst  into  view.  The  highest  peaks  are 
at  each  end  of  the  galaxy  of  snow  caps,  Sorata  at 
the  north  and  Illimani  at  the  south.  At  about 
mid-day  we  left  the  port  of  Guaqui  by  train,  but 
throughout  the  day  we  were  in  sight  of  the  Cordil¬ 
lera  and  never  tired  looking  at  those  imposing- 
piles  of  eternal  snow  lying  between  the  northern 
and  southern  sentinels. 

The  railroad  from  the  lake  to  the  capital  passes 
the  dreary  hamlet  of  Tiahuanaco  which  lies  among 
megalithic  ruins  of  pre-Inca  structure.  Recent 
excavations  seem  to  furnish  abundant  proof  that 
Tiahuanaco  was  at  one  time  the  center  of  a 


130  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


wealthy,  populous  kingdom.  As  one  passes 
through  the  dismal  tableland  on  which  the  ruins 
are  located  and  notes  that  the  crops,  today,  consist 
of  a  dwarf-strawed  barley  and  a  small  potato 
which  are  cultivated  on  the  plain  and  in  small  ter¬ 
raced  patches  on  the  surrounding  hills  and  moun¬ 
tains  ;  that  the  pasture  for  the  sheep  and  llamas  and 
scrawny  cattle  consists  of  a  sparse,  slow-growing, 
wiry  grass;  that  the  whole  region  is  absolutely 
treeless,  except  where  some  enterprising  land- 
owner  has  set  out  a  few  eucalyptus  trees  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  central  building,  one  won¬ 
ders  how  a  dense  population  could  possibly  have 
subsisted  in  such  a  bleak  and  inhospitable  climate. 
One  is  inclined  to  accept  the  theory  advanced  by 
Sir  Edwin  Markham  and  others  that  the  climate 
in  the  vicinity  of  Tiahuanaco  has  greatly  changed 
since  the  time  of  its  prosperity,  and  that  the 
change  was  possibly  brought  about  by  the  slow 
elevation  of  the  region  to  its  present  altitude  of 
two  and  a  half  miles  above  sea  level.  At  this  place, 
little  boys  board  the  train  selling  miniature  carv¬ 
ings  of  the  monoliths  found  among  the  ruins. 
Soon  after  leaving  Tiahuanaco,  pack  trains  of 
loaded  llamas  indicate  our  approach  to  the  inland 
metropolis  and  capital,  referred  to  sometimes  as 
the  “  city  in  a  kettle.” 

First  impressions  of  Ea  Paz  are  difficult  to 
record  because  of  the  peculiar  nature  of  the  sen¬ 
sations  aroused  both  by  the  strange,  grotesque, 


BEAUTIFUL  LA  PAZ 


131 


and  fascinating  local  geographic  setting  and  the 
unique,  bizarre,  fantastic  character  of  the  popula¬ 
tion  filling  its  streets  and  market  places.  We  have 
been  hastening  towards  the  highest  peak  of  the 
Cordillera  Real.  The  outlines  of  the  mountain 
gorges  are  becoming  clearer  when,  without  warn¬ 
ing,  we  drop  over  the  edge  of  a  canon-like  valley 
and  find  ourselves  winding  in  and  out  among 
capped  pillars  of  loosely-cemented,  rapidly-disinte¬ 
grating  conglomerate  that  fancy  describes  as  tow¬ 
ers,  monuments,  skyscrapers,  and  cathedral  spires, 
while  the  spaces  between  them  are  streets,  alleys, 
and  elevator  shafts.  In  places,  a  roof  protects 
the  track  from  the  stones  falling  from  the  crumb¬ 
ling  perpendicular  masses  that  are  composed  of 
rounded  cobble-stone,  pebbles,  and  gravel,  showing 
that  they  have  been  carved  from  what  was  once 
the  bottom  of  a  body  of  water.  Geologically 
speaking,  the  valley  is  young.  The  instability  of 
its  sides  is  evidenced  by  the  wooden  sluices  on  each 
side  of  the  railroad  track  to  prevent  washing  out 
of  the  road  bed  during  the  rains.  Sluices  also 
carry  the  water  quite  a  distance  away  from  the 
track  to  prevent  as  much  as  possible  the  erosion  of 
the  sides  of  the  valley  near  the  road  bed. 

Suddenly  the  red  tiles  and  white  walls  of  the 
buildings  of  the  city,  in  their  setting  of  green  of 
the  eucalyptus  trees  in  parks  and  gardens,  burst 
into  view  a  thousand  feet  below.  The  beauty  is 
enhanced  by  the  barrenness  of  the  rocky  sides  of 


132  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


the  enclosing  valley  and  the  progressive  fading  of 
the  modern  architecture  of  the  business  portion 
of  the  city  into  the  most  primitive  residences  of 
the  Indians,  consisting  of  one-roomed,  thatched 
huts. 

In  many  places  within  the  city  of  La  Paz  itself, 
are  evidences  of  the  instability  of  the  soil  upon 
which  it  rests.  The  streets  are  paved  with  the 
rounded  cobble-stone  of  which  the  sides  of  the  val¬ 
ley  are  so  largely  composed.  If,  during  the  rains, 
any  of  the  stones  in  the  pavement  of  the  slop¬ 
ing  streets  become  displaced,  the  water  from 
the  first  heavy  shower  running  through  the  street 
is  more  than  likely  to  cut  out  a  gulley  which  may 
in  a  very  short  time  reach  serious  proportions  and 
endanger  the  nearby  buildings.  People  owning 
houses  with  yards  or  vacant  lots  connected,  must 
keep  these  yards  and  lots  paved,  and  renew  break¬ 
ages  just  before  the  rains  for  protection  against 
the  destructive  effect  of  the  downward  rushing 
water  in  its  determination  to  carry  everything 
before  it.  Persons  have  invested  in  a  building  lot 
in  La  Paz  and  begun  construction,  only  to  have  the 
rains  come  unexpectedly  and  undermine  the  foun¬ 
dations,  carrying  away  both  lot  and  building  be¬ 
cause  of  the  defective  condition  of  the  protecting 
cover. 

Not  far  from  La  Paz  is  a  river  of  mud  which, 
though  comparatively  stable  during  the  dry  season, 
starts  on  its  long  journey  seaward  as  soon  as  the 


BEAUTIFUL  LA  PAZ 


133 


rains  begin.  Everywhere  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
city,  one  feels  that  he  is  witnessing  geography  in 
the  making.  The  contour  causes  one  to  wonder 
why  a  spot  where  foundations  are  so  unstable 
should  have  been  chosen  as  the  site  of  the  principal 
city  of  the  country.  After  experiencing  the  cold, 
raw  winds  of  the  tablelands  at  a  thousand  feet 
higher  altitude,  one  realises,  however,  that  much 
in  the  way  of  comfort  has  been  gained  in  the  de¬ 
creased  elevation.  Protection  from  the  piercing 
winds,  and  warmth  from  radiation  from  the  sides 
of  the  sunny  valley  are  some  compensation  for  the 
instability  of  the  crumbling  surface. 

The  chief  interest  of  La  Paz,  however,  does  not 
by  any  means  lie  in  its  physical  contour,  but  in 
the  mass  of  humanity  here  congregated.  La  Paz 
is  par  excellence,  the  city  of  contrasts.  There  is 
the  contrast  of  the  modern  office  building  for  the 
conduct  of  business,  with  the  stall  of  the  Indian 
woman  merchant  selling  her  primitive  wares.  The 
contrast  of  the  hotel  restaurant  conducted  on  the 
European  plan,  with  the  market  stall  where  fat 
“chola”  women  sell  boiled  “  Chuno,”  (dried  po¬ 
tatoes),  parched  barley,  and  hulled  corn  to  Indians 
who,  receiving  the  food  in  a  corner  of  the  poncho, 
or  in  the  folds  of  another  piece  of  cloth,  eat  it  as 
they  continue  their  journey  or  go  about  their  busi¬ 
ness.  Frequently  the  food  is  received  in  the  home¬ 
made  felt  hat  which  is  then  carried  in  the  hand 
until  the  frugal  repast  is  completed.  In  dress,  the 


134  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


contrast  is  between  the  latest  styles  of  Paris  and 
the  Indian  costumes  worn  from  time  immemorial. 
The  primped  and  manicured  belle  of  the  white 
population  takes  the  same  street  car  with  the  In¬ 
dian  woman  who  will  sit  by  the  roadside  to  rest  in 
the  suburbs  of  the  city  while  she  picks  and  eats  the 
lice  from  the  head  of  the  child  accompanying  her. 

There  is  nothing  to  be  met  with  anywhere  com¬ 
parable  to  La  Paz  on  market  and  feast  days. 
There  is  one  principal  market  and  two  or  three 
other  places  as  well  that  are  set  aside  for  the  sale 
of  country  products.  These  are  filled  to  overflow¬ 
ing  and  the  sidewalks  of  the  streets  within  a  few 
blocks  of  the  market  places  are  given  up  entirely  to 
Indian  women  who,  squatting  with  their  backs  to 
the  wall,  spread  their  wares  upon  the  edge  of  the 
street  and  on  the  sidewalk  in  front  of  them.  The 
streets  themselves  are  packed  with  passersby  and 
would-be  purchasers.  Troops  of  llamas  that  have 
come  from  the  higher  altitudes  bringing  the 
“  taquia  ”  that  is  so  largely  used  for  fuel,  or  the 
dried  potato  which,  because  of  its  light  weight,  is 
a  convenient  article  of  commerce,  add  picturesque¬ 
ness  to  the  scene.  Trains  of  mules  and  donkeys, 
as  well  as  hundreds  of  heavily-burdened  Indians, 
both  men  and  women,  bring  the  fruits  of  the  lower 
altitudes. 

The  products  offered  for  sale  in  this  primitive 
way  rival  in  strangeness  and  variety  any  market  I 
have  ever  visited:  barley,  quinua,  fresh  and  dried 


BEAUTIFUL  LA  PAZ 


135 


meats,  cooked  and  dried  chickens,  water-fowl  and 
guinea  pig,  chuno,  oca  (dried  oxalis  bulbs) ;  po¬ 
tatoes  black,  red,  yellow,  and  white  from  the  table¬ 
land  ;  apples,  pears,  wheat,  and  corn,  peaches, 
apricots,  strawberries,  and  figs  from  the  temperate 
valleys ;  besides  bananas,  oranges,  pineapples, 
limes,  and  custard  apples  from  the  tropic  lowlands. 
Vegetables  and  flowers  in  great  variety,  besides 
an  infinity  of  articles  of  native  manufacture,  line 
both  sides  of  the  streets  to  tempt  the  would-be 
purchaser. 

The  novelty  of  the  activity  of  the  streets  is  in¬ 
creased  by  the  maze  of  colours  in  which  the  par¬ 
ticipants  are  clothed.  Striped  ponchos  are  the  rule. 
All  the  colours  of  the  rainbow  are  present,  besides 
many  not  recorded  in  the  list  assigned  to  that  ven¬ 
erable  institution.  As  if  to  counteract  the  ever¬ 
present  chilliness  of  the  atmosphere  and  the  dreary 
drab  of  the  plain,  warm  and  bright  colours  are  by 
far  the  most  popular,  orange  predominating,  with 
a  strong  intermingling  of  reds,  purples,  and 
browns.  The  colouring  is  not  monopolised  by  the 
men,  however,  in  the  gaudy  stripes  of  their 
ponchos.  The  skirts  of  many  of  the  women  ex¬ 
hibit  the  same  high  colouring,  with  the  difference 
that  each  skirt  is  of  a  solid  colour.  Many  are, 
however,  worn  at  a  time,  each  one  hung  a  little 
higher  than  the  one  underneath  it,  allowing  the 
lower  to  show  below  in  a  ring  of  different  colour. 
One  woman  will  have  on  at  the  same  time  skirts  of 


136  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


red,  orange,  yellow,  blue,  and  purple  of  different 
shades.  As  these  skirts  are  all  made  of  heavy 
homespun  material,  the  combined  weight  is  enor¬ 
mous.  A  lady  told  me  that  the  skirts  worn  by  her 
girl  at  work  in  the  kitchen  weighed  between 
twenty-five  and  thirty  pounds.  I  have  no  idea 
what  the  weight  of  these  multi-coloured  skirts 
would  amount  to,  but  should  imagine  it  to  be  in 
excess  of  those  worn  by  the  kitchen  maid.  The 
most  brightly  coloured  article,  however,  and  the 
one  with  which  the  most  pains  is  taken  in  weaving 
and  blending  of  colours,  is  the  “  lijlla,”  the  square 
piece  of  cloth  which  is  used  as  a  wrap  in  which  to 
carry  the  bundle  on  the  back.  Nearly  every 
woman  coming  to  market  is  burdened  with  such  a 
bundle  suspended  from  the  neck  by  a  square  knot 
tied  in  the  corners;  and,  in  the  majority  of  cases, 
tucked  away  somewhere  in  the  folds  of  the  bundle 
or  between  the  articles  the  woman  is  bringing  to 
market,  is  the  little  Indian  baby,  the  inseparable 
companion  of  the  mother,  carried  constantly  in 
this  way  until  he  is  able  to  run  alone. 

On  the  streets  of  La  Paz  are  to  be  seen  many 
Indians  from  the  hot  country  of  the  Amazon  val¬ 
ley,  clad  in  their  peculiar  head  dress  and  light 
ponchos,  shivering  in  the  chilly  air  of  this  altitude 
which  one  would  think  would  be  sure  to  bring 
them  down  with  grippe  and  pneumonia.  Then 
there  is  the  peculiar  and  highly  picturesque  dress 
of  the  women  of  mixed  breed,  called  “  cholas” 


BOLIVIAN,  AYMARA,  INDIAN  WOMEN  IN  CHARAC¬ 
TERISTIC  DRESS  OF  TABLELAND  NEAR  LA  PAZ. 


INDIAN  MOUNTAIN  HOME. 


BEAUTIFUL  LA  PAZ 


137 


with  their  dainty  shawl  and  high,  white-painted, 
Panama  hat,  with  its  black  band  and  distinctive 
bow.  The  bulging  skirts  do  not  come  down  too 
low  to  showr  off  with  satisfactory  effect  the  fancy, 
French-heeled,  high-laced  shoes. 

There  is  very  little  that  is  modem  to  be  seen  on 
the  streets  of  La  Paz  during  market  day.  It  is  as 
if  the  sixteenth  century  had  been  projected  into  the 
twentieth.  The  sensation  of  strangeness,  peculi¬ 
arity,  and  anachronism  is  intensified  by  the  fact, 
evident  on  all  sides,  that  this  is  not  in  any  sense  a 
Latin  community.  The  language  spoken  by  both 
Indian  and  Cholo,  and  the  few  white  people  that 
one  sees  conducting  business  among  them,  is  the 
Aymara  and  not  Spanish.  In  fact,  if  you  do  not 
know,  at  least,  the  numbers  in  the  Aymara  lan¬ 
guage,  the  only  way  in  wfiich  you  can  conduct 
business  in  this  crowTded  market-place  is  by  the 
language  of  signs  entirely;  or,  by  getting  hold  of 
some  native  who  understands  Spanish  sufficiently 
to  be  able  to  interpret  for  you.  A  single  visit  to 
the  city  of  La  Paz  will  convince  one  that  for 
Bolivia  the  term  Latin  America  is  a  misnomer. 
These  people  are  not  Latin  in  customs,  in  lan¬ 
guage,  nor  in  religion. 

Every  city  and  village  throughout  Indian  Amer¬ 
ica  has  its  protecting  saint  or  virgin,  and  the  pro¬ 
tecting  virgin  of  the  city  of  La  Paz  is  one  who,  it 
is  said,  stopped  a  landslide,  caused  by  an  earth¬ 
quake,  that  threatened  to  engulf  a  portion  of  the 


138  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


city.  Every  year  at  the  celebration  of  the  festival 
of  this  virgin,  a  general  holiday  is  proclaimed.  All 
places  of  business  are  closed.  Almost  the  whole 
city  turns  out  to  visit  the  chapel  situated  in  a  resi¬ 
dential  suburb  in  which  her  image  is  kept. 

All  day  long  and  throughout  the  night,  groups 
of  masked  Indians  clad  in  grotesque  garments  and 
carrying  native  instruments  of  music  and  noise, 
proceed  through  the  streets  in  dancing,  jumping, 
wriggling  groups,  with  the  crowd  making  its  way 
to  the  little  chapel  where  the  famous  image  is  kept. 
There  in  the  midst  of  other  images,  among  which 
are  those  of  the  sun  and  moon,  decorated  with 
tinsel  and  surrounded  by  burning  candles,  she 
awaits  the  coming  of  the  adoring  multitude. 
While  the  chapel  is  constantly  filled  with  people  on 
their  knees  muttering  prayers  to  the  image,  yet  the 
chief  object  of  the  pilgrimage  seems  to  be  an  ex¬ 
cuse  for  drinking  alcohol  and  rum.  The  groups 
on  arriving  at  the  chapel,  before  entering  to  per¬ 
form  their  devotions,  squat  down  in  circles  outside 
as  near  as  possible  to  the  building,  many  of  them 
with  their  backs  against  it,  and  drink  rum  served 
by  the  leader  of  the  party.  On  coming  out  they 
drink  again.  The  visit  to  the  chapel  is  but  an 
excuse  for  becoming  beastly  drunk.  The  march 
and  dance  and  music  along  the  way  are  but  on  out¬ 
let  for  the  exuberance  of  spirits  produced  before 
the  liquor  accomplishes  the.  final  stupefying  effect. 
The  orgy  is  kept  up  all  night,  and  before  morn- 


BEAUTIFUL  LA  PAZ 


139 


in g  the  streets  are  strewn  with  men,  women,  and 
even  children  in  the  utter  oblivion  of  complete 
intoxication. 

Shortly  after  my  arrival  in  Peru,  a  patriotic 
Peruvian  said  to  me,  speaking  of  the  land-owning 
class  generally: 

“  We  have  made  a  beast  of  burden  of  the  Indian 
and  do  not  want  him  to  become  anything  else.  We 
are  jealous  of  any  influences  that  would  tend  to 
make  a  man  of  him.” 

Another  gentleman  speaking  of  the  attitude  of 
government  and  church  toward  the  Indians,  said : 

“  We  make  a  business  of  exploiting  his  vices. 
The  government  makes  the  liquor  and  the  church 
furnishes  the  feasts,  the  occasions  for  the  Indians 
to  consume  it,  increasing  thereby  the  revenue  of 
the  church  and  that  of  the  government.” 

There  is  probably  no  place  in  all  the  Americas 
where  the  exploitation  of  this  particular  vice  of 
the  Indian  stands  out  more  prominently  than  in  the 
city  of  La  Paz. 

In  La  Paz  we  see  on  a  large  scale  that  which 
happens  every  year  in  small  villages  and  communi¬ 
ties  throughout  Indian  America.  In  Peru  and 
Bolivia  when  an  Indian  has  gotten  a  little  ahead 
financially  he  will  be  notified  by  the  priest  that  he 
has  been  honoured  by  being  chosen  as  the  chief  or 
leader  of  the  celebrations  of  the  yearly  feast  in 
honour  of  the  protecting  saint.  This  means  that 
his  religious  duty  as  the  leader  of  the  celebration 


140  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


is  to  furnish  unlimited  quantities  of  alcohol  to  the 
participants.  It  also  means  financial  ruin  to  the 
person  chosen,  and  frequently  puts  him  so  deeply 
in  debt  that  he  is  years  in  getting  square  with  the 
world  again.  The  system  could  not  be  better 
adapted  to  keeping  the  Indian  in  a  condition  of 
absolute  servitude  to  the  land-owner.  If  by  strict 
economy  and  attention  to  business  the  poor  fellow 
gets  any  money  ahead,  the  landlord  will  take  it 
from  him  unjustly  and  forcibly,  the  priest  will  get 
it  for  masses,  burials,  baptisms,  marriages,  and 
feasts,  or  the  government  will  get  it  for  rum. 

Until  recently  missionary  effort  in  La  Paz  had 
not  been  directed  to  the  Indian.  In  1907,  at  the 
urgent  request  and  with  the  financial  assistance  of 
the  Bolivian  Government,  the  M.  E.  Mission 
Board  established  a  school,  the  American  Institute 
of  La  Paz,  which  includes  all  the  grades  from  kin¬ 
dergarten  to  college  entrance.  Another  school 
was  started  in  Cochabamba  by  the  same  Society. 
Through  the  boarding  department,  these  schools 
have  received  students  from  all  over  the  country. 
I  met  one  boy  who  had  come  seven  days’  journey 
on  mule  back  to  the  railroad  station  where  he  could 
take  the  train  for  La  Paz  in  order  to  attend  the 
American  school. 

Government  support  was  discontinued  because 
of  the  depletion  of  the  Bolivian  treasury,  but  the 
schools  have  continued  as  a  purely  mission  enter¬ 
prise  and  have  acquired  a  remarkable  prestige  and 


BEAUTIFUL  LA  PAZ 


141 


influence  throughout  Bolivia.  I  found  no  educated 
Bolivian  who  did  not  know  of  them,  and  no  one 
who  did  not  speak  of  them  in  terms  of  highest 
respect.  What  these  institutions  have  meant  in 
terms  of  Christian  influence  and  character  forma¬ 
tion  to  the  hundreds  of  young  men  and  women  of 
the  well-to-do  class  who  have  passed  under  the 
influence  of  the  devoted  Christian  educators  can 
never  be  adequately  estimated. 

It  would  be  hard  to  find  a  less  denomination¬ 
ally  selfish  project  than  these  Methodist  mission 
schools.  They  are  endeavouring  to  invest  the  lives 
of  the  missionaries  in  the  community  for  the 
benefit  of  the  young  people  coming  to  them  for  an 
education,  and  for  the  uplift  of  all  with  whom  they 
come  in  contact.  The  missionaries  have  shown 
what  Christian  homes  should  and  can  be.  One 
young  man  who  had  been  brought  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  truth  told  me  that  what  had  influenced  him 
for  Christ  was  the  home  life  of  these  teachers. 
They  have  shown  that  young  people  can  meet  to¬ 
gether  for  helpful  social  intercourse,  and  healthful 
recreation.  In  Cochabamba  especially,  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  are  looked  to  for  advice  in  the  matter  of 
getting  up  parties  and  social  gatherings  and  they 
have  influenced  greatly  the  social  life  of  the  youth 
of  the  well-to-do,  by  the  introduction  of  ath¬ 
letics  and  outdoor  sports,  a  thing  before  unknown. 
They  have  been  a  significant  factor  in  instilling 
higher  ideals  into  the  minds  of  the  young.  I 


142  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


found  both  teachers  and  pupils  of  the  schools  in 
La  Paz  and  Cochabamba,  attending  the  Sunday 
services  of  the  Canadian  Baptist  Mission.  There 
is  the  most  cordial  relationship  between  the  work¬ 
ers  of  the  two  Societies. 

But,  these  schools  are  for  the  children  of  the 
wealthy,  and  are  largely  self-supporting  as  far  as 
running  expenses  are  concerned :  what  have  they  to 
do  with  the  Indian?  Simply  this:  these  conse¬ 
crated  young  American  teachers  have  seen  the 
great  untouched  mass  of  Indians  for  whom  no¬ 
body  has  ever  cared  and  for  whom  nothing  has 
ever  been  done.  Their  hearts  have  gone  out  to 
them  and  they  are  offering  themselves  for  Indian 
work.  I  have  seen  the  survey  and  outline  of  work 
as  laid  down  by  them  for  the  activities  of  the  next 
ten  years.  The  program  is  inclusive  and  comprises 
besides  provision  for  medical  and  evangelical 
work,  an  educational  system  that  shall  reach  out 
to  remote  Indian  centers  and  head  up  in  the  pres¬ 
ent  schools  in  La  Paz  and  Cochabamba.  That  the 
missionaries  themselves  believe  in  the  program  is 
evidenced  by  the  fact  that  Mr.  Frank  Beck,  Di¬ 
rector  of  the  American  Institute  in  La  Paz,  has 
just  returned  to  the  home  land  to  study  medicine 
in  order  that  he  may  return  as  one  of  the  mission¬ 
ary  physicians  called  for  by  the  plan.  The  whole 
scheme  if  carried  out  as  planned  will  bring  to  fru¬ 
ition  the  previous  work  of  Christian  education, 
because  it  will  furnish  an  outlet  for  the  Christian 
activities  of  those  of  the  ruling  class  who  have  the 


BEAUTIFUL  LA  PAZ 


143 


interests  of  the  Indian  at  heart,  and  an  opportunity 
to  develop  native  leadership. 

The  Canadian  Baptists  located  in  La  Paz  are 
approaching  the  Indian  problem  from  a  different 
angle.  Some  time  ago,  through  a  bequest  of  a 
friend  of  missions,  they  came  into  possession  of  a 
large  estate  on  Lake  Titicaca  together  with  the 
Indians  living  on  it.  A  couple  of  missionary 
ladies,  one  of  them  a  nurse,  have  gone  out  to  live 
on  the  farm  and  have  begun  to  study  the  language. 
A  practical  missionary  farmer  is  expected  soon 
from  Canada.  The  missionaries  are  finding  that 
the  possession  of  land  together  with  the  legal  cus¬ 
tody  of  human  beings  carries  its  own  peculiar  re¬ 
sponsibilities.  Prayerfully  facing  the  problem  as 
they  are  doing,  they  may  be  able  to  solve  it  not  only 
satisfactorily  to  themselves,  but  in  such  a  way  that 
their  experience  may  be  of  value  to  others  who 
really  wish  to  help  their  Indian  serfs  to  indepen¬ 
dent  manhood. 

In  December,  1921,  Mrs.  Irving  Whitehead, 
who  had  just  been  assigned  by  Bishop  Oldham  to 
work  among  the  Indians  in  La  Paz,  took  me  to 
see  the  little  building  she  had  rented.  Then,  the 
question  that  was  uppermost  in  my  mind  was: 
Will  the  Indian  of  La  Paz  respond  to  this  effort 
about  to  be  made  in  his  behalf?  Now,  the  ques¬ 
tion  that  repeats  itself  is :  Why  has  not  the  attempt 
been  made  before?  The  response  has  been  pa¬ 
thetic  in  its  wistful  eagerness.  The  school  room 
has  been  full  from  the  first,  not  only  during  the 


144  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


day,  but  at  night  with  classes  for  adults,  and  for 
Sunday  services  as  well.  Mothers  have  brought 
their  children,  serious  little  Indian  toddlers  have 
come  bringing  on  their  backs  the  baby  brother  or 
sister  for  whom  they  were  responsible.  The  day 
I  last  visited  the  school,  four  babies  were  playing 
on  the  floor  while  the  older  brother  or  sister  that 
had  brought  them  was  studying.  One  of  the 
babies  started  crying  and  the  brother  immediately 
left  his  book  and  went  out  doors  with  the  baby  to 
remain  until  it  was  again  quiet — a  condition  Mrs. 
Whitehead  has  found  it  necessary  to  impose. 

At  the  request  of  Rev.  H.  E.  Wintemute,  the 
missionary  in  charge,  I  spoke  one  Sunday  night  in 
the  Baptist  Church  in  La  Paz.  As  I  was  speaking 
an  Aymara  Indian  came  in  and  sat  down.  I  told 
in  simple  Spanish  the  story  of  the  American  Bible 
Society,  how  we  had  just  published  the  New 
Testament  in  Quechua  and  that  we  hoped  some 
day  to  have  the  Gospels  in  Aymara.  The  old  man 
was  waiting  as  I  passed  out.  He  approached,  took 
my  hand  in  both  of  his,  said  in  broken  Spanish : 
“  Your  word  was  very  sweet  to ’me,”  and  turning 
went  his  way.  Never  have  words  of  appreciation 
stirred  me  so.  I  leave  the  reader  to  imagine  my 
emotions.  May  the  workers  be  forthcoming  and 
may  Divine  Wisdom  be  granted  the  individuals 
and  societies  who  are  seriously  facing  the  problem 
of  winning  the  inhabitants  of  this  great  Indian 
city  for  Christ. 


X 


THE  BOLIVIAN  INTERIOR 


IN  size,  Cochabamba  is  the  second  city  of 
Bolivia.  It  is  the  center  of  the  life  of  the 
Quechua  Indian  as  La  Paz  is  of  that  of  the 
Aymara.  Cochabamba  is  about  twenty-four  hours’ 
journey  from  La  Paz  by  rail.  Sleeping  accommo¬ 
dation  on  the  train  is  good,  and  a  very  satisfactory 
meal  of  several  courses  can  be  secured  in  the  din¬ 
ing  car  for  about  seventy-five  cents  American 
money.  The  first  part  of  the  journey  is  along  the 
tableland  to  the  bustling  mining  town  of  Oruro 
where  we  change  from  the  main  line  that  continues 
to  Antofagasta,  Chile,  to  the  branch  road  that  goes 
over  the  mountain  rim  into  the  broken  and  rugged 
eastern  slope  of  the  Andes  and  taps  the  rich  valley 
of  Cochabamba. 

The  rarefied  night  air  of  the  plateau  is  cold  and 
piercing.  The  continuous  struggle  of  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  for  a  mere  existence  renders  them  morose, 
sullen,  and  apathetic.  As  we  contemplate  the 
poverty-stricken  Indians,  men,  women,  and  chil¬ 
dren,  with  their  weather-beaten,  bronzed,  features, 
and  calloused  feet,  cultivating  their  little  patches 
of  barley  or  potatoes,  herding  small  flocks  of  sheep 

145 


146  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


or  llamas,  or  guiding  pack  trains  of  the  latter 
across  the  plateau,  we  note  the  monotony  of  the 
treeless  landscape  dotted  with  cheerless  clay  hovels, 
and  shut  in  by  bleak  mountains,  and  do  not  wonder 
at  the  exclamation  of  a  native  author:  “  If  the  sur¬ 
rounding  barren  and  miserable  hills  furnish  any 
inspiration,  it  is  the  desire  to  escape,  to  get  away, 
and  the  farther  the  better.”  The  inhospitable  char¬ 
acter  of  the  elements  by  which  he  is  surrounded, 
finds  itself  reflected  in  the  irresponsive  character 
of  the  Aymara  Indian.  His  disposition  must  be 
warmed  by  the  persistent  shining  of  the  sun  of 
disinterested  kindness  to  which  he  has  hitherto 
been  a  stranger,  before  he  will  expand  and  be¬ 
come  susceptible  to  outside  influence  of  any  sort 
whatever. 

The  Quechua  Indian  of  the  Cochabamba  Valley 
is  of  a  different  type.  Five  thousand  feet  lower, 
Cochabamba  has  the  temperate  climate  of  Mexico 
City.  The  valley  is  fertile,  and  its  soil  yields  read¬ 
ily  to  cultivation.  Corn  is  the  principal  article  of 
diet,  taking  the  place  of  the  barley  and  frozen  po¬ 
tatoes  of  the  tableland.  Life  here  is  not  such  a 
serious  struggle  for  existence.  The  dweller  of  this 
region  has  more  leisure,  is  more  sociable,  musical, 
expansive,  generous,  and  accessible,  than  is  the  in¬ 
habitant  of  the  cold  highlands.  He  is  also  quicker 
of  intellect  and  less  stolid  and  apathetic,  though  he 
does  not  have  the  sturdiness  of  physique  of  the 
latter. 


THE  BOLIVIAN  INTERIOR 


147 


Shortly  after  leaving  Oruro  we  commence  the 
ascent  of  the  rim  of  the  plateau,  apparently  a  low- 
lying  range  of  hills.  As  soon  as  we  cross  the 
divide,  and  begin  to  descend  by  one  of  the  multi¬ 
tudinous  steep-sided  gorges  or  valleys  that  consti¬ 
tute  the  higher  portion  of  the  Amazon  basin,  we 
are  impressed  by  the  immensity  of  the  mountain 
masses,  down  the  sides  of  which  the  railroad  has 
been  built  to  the  lower  altitudes,  and  by  the  audac¬ 
ity  of  the  engineers  that  bring  the  train  out  onto 
the  very  edge  of  a  deep  abyss,  the  bottom  of  which 
lies  hundreds  of  feet  below,  then  by  zigzagging 
down  its  sides  convey  you  nearly  to  the  level  of  the 
rushing  stream  below.  The  stream  descends,  how¬ 
ever,  at  a  much  greater  angle  than  the  grade  of  the 
road,  and  we  soon  find  ourselves  far  above  it  again, 
only  to  repeat  the  zigzagging  process  of  reaching 
the  lower  level.  Soon  we  are  thousands  of  feet 
below  the  top  of  the  divide  from  which  we  started. 
From  this  side,  the  mountains  no  longer  look  like 
low-lying  hills,  but  the  towering  masses  of  rock 
that  they  really  are,  thrusting  their  dizzy  heights 
heavenward,  intercepting  the  sun,  and  shortening 
the  day  itself  by  bearing  aloft  the  encircling 
horizon. 

The  instability  of  it  all  impresses  one.  Short 
shrift  to  any  work  of  man  that  thwarts  these 
seaward-moving  mountains.  If  the  process  of 
erosion  seems  to  be  infinitely  slow  on  the  western 
side  of  the  Andes  where  there  is  no  rainfall,  on  the 


148  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


eastern  slopes  the  contrary  is  the  case.  When  pur¬ 
chasing  our  ticket  at  the  station,  we  noticed  an 
announcement  that  the  railroad  would  not  be  re¬ 
sponsible  for  accidents  which  might  occur  to  per¬ 
sons  or  property  during  the  trip.  This  was  because 
of  the  great  frequency  of  landslides  between  Oruro 
and  Cochabamba,  rendering  the  road  unsafe  during 
the  rainy  season.  As  we  made  the  descent  to  the 
Cochabamba  valley,  there  was  everywhere  evidence 
of  the  instability  of  these  great  masses  of  rock, 
ready  again  to  start  on  their  way  to  sea  level  as 
soon  as  the  rains  should  begin.  During  the  dry 
season  the  rock  on  the  surface  is  in  a  comparatively 
stable  condition,  but  the  steep  slopes  of  the  moun¬ 
tains  are  in  a  constant  state  of  disintegration  from 
the  action  of  cold,  heat,  and  moisture.  As  soon  as 
the  rains  begin,  therefore,  the  streams  that  were 
clear,  and  low  almost  to  the  point  of  drying  up  ex¬ 
cept  where  fed  by  melting  glaciers,  become  rushing 
torrents  of  mud,  rolling  boulders  and  stones  along 
their  beds,  grinding  them  in  the  process  into  mud 
and  silt  to  be  deposited  later  in  the  Amazon  river 
delta  thousands  of  miles  away. 

Sometimes  the  heavy  rains  in  the  higher  alti¬ 
tudes  precipitate  such  quantities  of  water  into  the 
valleys  converging  to  form  these  rivers,  that  the 
water  rushes  down  the  river  bed  like  an  advancing 
wall  several  feet  high,  sweeping  everything  before 
it.  At  other  times  combining  landslides  form 
rivers  of  mud  and  stone  that  fill  the  valley  from 


THE  BOLIVIAN  INTERIOR 


149 


side  to  side  to  a  depth  of  several  feet,  forming  an 
irresistible  mass  that  overcomes  everything  in  its 
path.  The  lower  part  of  the  town  of  Arque 
through  which  we  pass  was  completely  covered  by 
such  a  flood  of  mud  and  stones  a  few  years  ago. 
Again,  this  year  (1923)  another  large  portion  of 
the  town  was  destroyed  by  flood  and  landslide. 
The  author  of  the  grammar  that  I  secured  for  the 
study  of  Quechua  was  drowned  with  his  wife,  as 
they  were  caught  by  a  flood  of  water  rushing  down 
a  dry  river  bed.  These  floods  often  overtake  trav¬ 
elers  without  previous  warning,  since  the  moun¬ 
tains  where  the  rains  occur  are  out  of  sight  of  the 
people  of  the  steep-sided  valleys.  All  traveling  in 
this  part  of  Bolivia,  to  be  unaccompanied  by  grave 
danger,  must  be  done  during  the  dry  season. 
After  the  close  of  the  rains,  what  were  rushing 
torrents  again  become  small,  clear,  mountain 
brooks,  meandering  along  on  top  of  a  bed  of  sand, 
cobblestone,  and  rocks,  products  of  erosion  at  rest 
during  the  dry  season.  These  almost  diy  valley 
bottoms  may  well  be  called  rock  rivers,  since  they 
are  composed  of  rock  that  with  each  rainy  season 
will  be  carried  another  stage  of  the  long  journey  to 
the  far-away  Atlantic. 

Though  the  rainfall  is  abundant,  this  section  of 
the  Andes  is  devoid  of  forest  and  there  is  no  cur¬ 
tain  of  verdure  to  screen  the  action  of  the  elements. 
Every  valley  is  fed  by  tributary  valleys  and  gorges 
whose  sides  are  in  a  constant  state  of  disintegra- 


150  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


tion.  At  the  foot  of  every  cliff,  taluses  form  and 
at  the  mouth  of  every  gorge  there  are  left,  at  the 
close  of  the  rainy  season,  fan-like  deltas,  the  in¬ 
clined  angle  of  which  indicates  the  rapidity  of  the 
streams  by  which  they  were  formed.  Through  the 
deltas  run  in  a  deep  cut  the  apparently  harmless 
streams  that  built  them  up.  Indian  homes,  ham¬ 
lets,  and  even  villages  and  towns,  are  built  upon 
these  deltas,  and  all  will  go  well  and  prosperously 
for  a  few  years,  when  some  day  as  the  result  of  a 
sudden  downpour  of  rain  the  channel  will  fill  with 
heavy  material,  the  torrent  overflow  its  bed  and 
cut  a  new  channel  for  itself,  carrying  everything 
before  it.  Many  an  Indian  hamlet  and  more  than 
a  score  of  villages  are  thus  carried  away  annually 
on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Andes  in  Bolivia. 
When  to  this  are  added  the  frequent  avalanches 
when  fields  and  whole  mountainsides  slip  down 
into  the  valley  below,  it  is  easily  seen  what  a  con¬ 
stant  battle  with  the  elements  is  forced  upon  all 
who  live  in  this  section,  and  what  constant  vigilance 
is  required  to  keep  a  roof  over  one’s  head  when  the 
foundations  may  be  swept  away  at  any  time. 

As  we  approach  Cochabamba,  the  valley  widens. 
Orchards  and  fields  appear,  bearing  all  the  fruits  of 
the  temperate  zone.  Singing  birds  abound  and  fill 
the  air  with  their  melodies.  The  nest  of  the  oven 
bird  is  seen  on  trees  and  telegraph  poles  along  the 
line.  The  people  at  the  railroad  stations  become 
smiling  and  sociable  in  their  attitude.  The  lan- 


THE  BOLIVIAN  INTERIOR 


151 


guage  throughout  this  thickly-populated  valley  is 
Quechua.  Spanish  is  seldom  heard.  The  language 
of  childhood,  even  of  the  sparse  white  population, 
is  that  of  the  native  Indian,  hence  the  importance 
of  the  translation  of  the  Gospel  message  into  the 
language  of  the  people,  to  be  printed  side  by  side 
with  Spanish,  the  official  language  of  the  country. 

Because  of  the  work  being  done  on  the  New 
Testament  in  this  dialect  of  the  Quechua,  I  was 
anxious  to  visit  Mr.  George  Allan,  of  the  Bolivian 
Indian  Mission,  under  whose  supervision  the  trans¬ 
lation  was  being  made.  Hence  I  gladly  accepted 
Mr.  Allan’s  invitation  to  visit  the  Mission  Head¬ 
quarters  at  San  Pedro. 

The  journey  from  the  railroad  station  at  Arque 
to  San  Pedro  is  about  fifty  miles’  ride  over  a  moun¬ 
tain  trail.  Mr.  H.  C.  McKinney  met  me  at  the 
station  with  the  news  that  he  had  engaged  a  mule 
and  guide  to  take  me  to  San  Pedro  and  that  we 
would  start  about  daylight  the  following  morning. 
Would  I  be  willing  to  speak  to  the  people  that 
night?  Of  course,  I  was  only  too  glad  of  the  op¬ 
portunity.  Although  the  meeting  had  not  been  an¬ 
nounced,  the  congregation  was  very  easily  gath¬ 
ered.  In  the  yard  back  of  the  hall,  there  were  sus¬ 
pended  from  the  branch  of  a  tree  two  pieces  of 
steel  rail  of  different  lengths.  Beating  upon  these 
called  a  congregation  together  and  filled  the  build¬ 
ing  in  a  short  time. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  McKinney  are  quite  musical. 


152  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


They  have  had  the  Quechua  songs  and  choruses 
printed  in  large  type  on  a  scroll  which  they  hang 
up  on  the  wall  back  of  the  reading-stand,  and 
teach  them  to  the  children  during  the  services.  I 
wish  the  reader  could  have  heard  the  children  of 
that  congregation  sing  the  Gospel  songs  and 
choruses  in  Quechua,  Mr.  McKinney  leading  and 
his  wife  accompanying  on  the  baby  organ.  They 
sang  so  heartily,  so  well,  and  with  so  much  ex¬ 
pression  that  one  was  carried  away  by  their  en¬ 
thusiasm  and  had  a  vision  of  the  possibilities  of 
multiplying  such  congregations  throughout  Indian 
America. 

My  guide  appeared  as  promptly  as  could  have 
been  expected  in  the  morning.  While  we  did  not 
get  started  at  daylight,  it  was  not  very  long  after 
that  I  was  leaving  the  town  of  Arque  mounted  on 
a  bay  mule  with  black  head  and  neck,  the  Indian 
running  before  on  foot.  After  striking  off  down 
the  rock  bed  of  the  river,  we  turned  to  the  right 
and  followed  up  a  tributary  stream-bed  for  about 
twenty  minutes,  then  the  trail  led  directly  up  a 
steep  mountain  spur.  Up,  up,  we  zigzagged  at  an 
almost  unbelievable  angle  until  in  a  few  minutes 
we  were  hundreds  of  feet  above  the  stream,  near 
enough  to  perpendicular  so  that  all  the  shrubs  and 
plants  seemed  to  lean  up  the  mountain  side  in  order 
to  keep  from  falling  over  the  precipices.  On  the 
curves  of  the  trail  around  the  end  of  the  spur 
when  the  mule’s  head  projects  over  a  straight  drop 


THE  BOLIVIAN  INTERIOR 


153 


of  fearful  depth  and  the  first  turn  of  her  body 
brings  half  of  the  rider  over  the  same  precipice, 
there  is,  at  first,  an  almost  irresistible  tendency  to 
lean  to  the  side  of  the  trail  toward  the  mountain. 
Soon,  however,  one  learns  the  futility  of  this; 
and,  with  increasing  confidence  in  the  surefooted¬ 
ness  of  the  animal,  retains  his  seat  as  contentedly 
and  unconcernedly  as  though  in  a  luxurious  obser¬ 
vation  car,  with  this  difference  that  he  is  now  a 
part  of  the  scenery  of  which  he  would  be  but  an 
observer  from  the  car  window.  Surely  this  adds 
spice  to  the  joy  of  living. 

No  American  mule  as  far  as  I  know  ever  fol¬ 
lows  the  principle  of  the  driver  in  the  story,  who, 
when  asked  how  near  he  could  drive  to  a  precipice 
without  falling  over,  said  that  he  always  kept  as 
far  away  from  the  edge  as  possible.  The  mule 
always  keeps  to  the  very  outer  edge  of  the  trail,  as 
far  away  from  the  mountain  wall  as  possible.  The 
reason  may  be  that  when  carrying  cargoes,  if  the 
load  hits  the  mountain,  the  rebound  is  likely  to 
carry  him  over  the  precipice — I  have  seen  such 
accidents — or  it  may  be  sheer  mulishness.  Having 
discovered  the  desire  of  the  rider  to  keep  as  far 
away  as  possible,  the  animal  determines  to  have  his 
own  way  in  this  particular.  The  sooner  one  ac¬ 
cepts  the  situation  and  remains  perfectly  at  ease, 
the  better  for  his  peace  of  mind.  At  any  rate  the 
outside  of  the  path  has  its  advantages.  One  is 
able  to  look  straight  down,  and  it  gives  him  some- 


154  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


what  the  sensation  of  riding  in  an  aeroplane  sus¬ 
pended  between  earth  and  sky. 

After  we  had  reached  the  apparent  summit  of 
the  ridge  we  traveled  along  the  rising  crest.  The 
trail  sometimes  led  along  the  top  so  that  we  could 
see  both  valleys,  but  it  oftener  kept  to  one  side  or 
the  other  avoiding  the  highest  points.  The  Indian 
kept  comparatively  near  on  foot;  in  order  to  rest 
the  mule,  I  would  frequently  dismount  and  walk 
up  the  steepest  parts  of  the  ascent.  On  either  side 
of  us  was  a  steep  valley  and  we  looked  down  upon 
the  tops  of  the  shepherds’  huts  below,  and  into  the 
rock-inclosed  folds,  down  into  the  “  V  ’’-shaped 
valleys  beyond  which  the  field  of  vision  embraced 
peak  after  peak  of  steep  mountain  masses,  on  many 
of  which  fields  were  cultivated  on  sides  so  pre¬ 
cipitous  that  one  wondered  how  the  labourers  man¬ 
aged  to  maintain  a  footing  while  cultivating  and 
harvesting  the  crop. 

Our  first  stopping  place  was  at  a  sheep  ranch 
where  we  secured  fodder  for  the  mule.  The  ranch 
foreman  ordered  some  eggs  and  potatoes  fried  for 
me.  The  servant  also  boiled  water  for  tea.  I  try 
to  avoid  drinking  unboiled  water  when  traveling 
in  these  countries  unless  sure  that  it  comes  from  an 
uncontaminated  source.  The  foreman  and  his  lit¬ 
tle  son  understood  Spanish,  but  all  of  the  help,  in¬ 
cluding  my  Indian  guide,  spoke  Quechua  only. 
The  little  boy  told  me  he  was  home  on  vacation, 
that  he  was  attending  school  in  Cochabamba,  and 


THE  BOLIVIAN  INTERIOR 


155 


knew  the  missionaries  there  very  well.  He  thought 
they  had  the  best  school  in  Bolivia. 

After  our  rest  the  foreman  refused  to  take  any 
pay  for  food  for  man  or  animals,  saying  that  he 
was  glad  to  be  of  service  to  any  friend  of  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  of  San  Pedro.  He  then  brought  out  from 
the  house  a  little  girl  three  or  four  years  old, 
flushed  with  fever,  and  having  a  badly  coated 
tongue.  He  thought  she  had  scarlet  fever.  Could 
I  do  anything  for  her?  All  that  I  had  with  me  in 
the  way  of  medicine  was  some  three-grain  tablets 
of  cascara  sagrada.  I  gave  some  of  these  to  him, 
telling  him  to  give  her  one  at  regular  periods  until 
they  produced  the  desired  effect.  For  this  he 
seemed  very  grateful. 

The  second  part  of  the  day’s  journey  was  even 
more  fascinating  than  the  first.  Beyond  the  sheep 
ranch  the  trail  was  unknown  to  the  Indian.  The 
manager  explained  to  me  in  Spanish,  and  to  the 
guide  in  Quechua,  the  trails  we  were  to  follow. 
When  we  came  to  the  point  where  we  had  been 
directed  to  leave  the  main  trail  in  order  to  reach 
the  next  valley,  I  should  have  been  lost  without  the 
sagacity  of  the  Indian.  He  was  able  to  follow  the 
trail  over  the  apparently  bare  rock.  I  was  not  con¬ 
vinced  that  he  was  right,  and  followed  him  rather 
doubtfully  until  we  came  upon  a  well-beaten  track 
again.  We  came  out  onto  the  new  trail  near  to  the 
starting  point  of  a  stream  flowing  in  the  opposite 
direction  from  those  we  had  left,  although  all  the 


156  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


streams  in  this  section  finally  reach  the  sea  through 
the  Amazon. 

A  little  farther  down  the  trail  a  beautiful  fox 
jumped  into  the  road  ahead  of  us,  ran  along  a  little 
way,  then  turned  and  looked  at  us,  giving  a  broad 
side  view  as  if  to  show  oft*  his  flaming  red  fur  and 
black-tipped  tail.  As  we  rounded  the  spur  at  the 
curve  around  which  the  fox  had  disappeared  into 
the  valley  below,  a  pair  of  immense  condors  flew 
up,  the  only  ones  I  have  ever  seen.  I  watched  them 
as  their  gigantic  forms  grew  smaller  in  the  dis¬ 
tance  until  they  appeared  but  small  specks  against 
the  shadow  of  some  distant  thunderheads. 

We  followed  down  this  tiny  mountain  stream 
until  it  became  a  wide,  rocky  river  bed,  though 
with  little  water  at  this  season  of  the  year,  since 
we  were  just  at  the  close  of  the  dry  season.  Then 
we  turned  up  a  tributary  stream  and  followed  it 
to  its  very  beginning  in  a  spring  in  a  llama  pasture, 
in  a  gulley  cut  out  of  a  mossy  sod.  A  few  minutes 
more  and  we  were  at  the  summit  of  the  ridge  and 
a  wonderful  sight  presented  itself.  We  were  on 
the  top  of  a  high  range  which  overlooked  a  field 
of  mountain  tops  stretching  in  every  direction  as 
far  as  eye  could  reach.  The  green  of  the  sparse 
vegetation  mingling  with  the  reddish  colour  of  the 
rocks  reflecting  the  after  glow  of  the  sun  just  dis¬ 
appearing  over  the  horizon,  made  a  sight  long  to 
be  remembered  as  one  of  the  experiences  of  a 
lifetime. 


THE  BOLIVIAN  INTERIOR 


157 


From  this  point  there  was  a  long  descent,  and  it 
was  considerably  after  dark  when  we  reached  the 
Indian  village  of  Torocari,  where  are  stationed  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Powlison,  of  the  Bolivian  Indian  Mis¬ 
sion.  At  first,  I  could  find  no  one  who  understood 
Spanish  from  whom  to  inquire  the  residence  of 
the  Powlisons.  Nor  could  we  make  anyone  under¬ 
stand  whom  we  wanted.  Finally,  I  asked  for  the 
man  who  treated  the  poor  when  they  were  sick.  A 
woman  then  started  us  in  the  right  direction.  We 
went  past  the  house,  however,  and  had  to  be  set 
right  by  a  young  man  we  met  who  understood 
Spanish.  We  were  given  a  hearty  welcome  by 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Powlison,  whom  I  found  living  in  a 
native  adobe  house  like  those  of  their  Indian 
neighbours. 

The  trail  on  which  we  set  out  the  following 
morning  from  Torocari  to  San  Pedro  is  down  one 
of  the  rock  river  beds  of  which  I  have  spoken,  until 
just  opposite  the  town,  which  is  located  part  way 
up  the  mountain  side.  The  scenery  was  impressive 
along  this  river  winding  between  the  spurs  of  gi¬ 
gantic  piles  of  rock.  The  stream  of  water  was 
small  and  clear  and  meandered  from  side  to  side, 
down  the  inclined  plain,  in  which  it  had  cut  a 
course  for  itself  during  the  long  dry  season. 

Of  intense  interest  are  these  beginnings  of  the 
sources  of  the  mighty  Amazon.  At  the  point  from 
which  we  started,  the  path  led  between  immense 
boulders.  As  we  advanced,  these  diminished  in 


158  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


size  and  became  more  rounded.  The  valley  had 
also  widened  out,  and  tributaries  to  the  rocky  bed 
were  to  be  seen  all  along  the  way.  They  ranged  in 
size  from  the  small  talus,  at  the  foot  of  almost  per¬ 
pendicular  cliffs,  to  the  more  or  less  steep  deltas 
opening  into  the  main  valley  from  the  mountain 
gorges.  The  sides  of  these  gorges  were  lined  with 
rocks  and  loosened  boulders  waiting  for  the  com¬ 
ing  rains  to  start  them  again  on  their  journey  to 
the  sea. 

I  was  hurrying  along  for  two  reasons;  first,  I 
wanted  to  reach  San  Pedro  in  time  to  have  a  short 
rest  before  the  noon  meeting,  then  I  was  becoming 
horribly  sunburned  and  wanted  to  get  out  of  the 
glare  of  the  river  bed  as  soon  as  possible.  My 
mule  was  a  good  walker  and  was  easily  urged  into 
a  trot  along  the  smooth  parts  of  the  trail.  So  sure 
was  I  of  the  way  from  the  description  given  me 
that  I  had  left  the  Indian  far  behind,  not  antici¬ 
pating  any  need  of  him. 

Finally,  the  mule  became  very  thirsty,  and  tried 
to  drink  every  time  we  crossed  the  stream.  Hith¬ 
erto  I  had  left  the  care  of  the  animal  entirely  to 
the  Indian,  dismounting  while  he  took  off  the 
bridle  and  watered  her.  I  had  taken  quite  a  liking 
to  the  animal.  She  was  so  willing  and  surefooted 
that  I  thought  she  deserved  good  treatment.  In 
my  haste  I  decided  not  to  wait  for  the  Indian  this 
time  but  to  water  her  myself.  Accordingly  I  dis¬ 
mounted,  took  off  the  bridle,  and,  holding  her  by 


THE  BOLIVIAN  INTERIOR 


159 


the  rawhide  rope  about  the  neck,  let  her  drink  all 
she  wanted.  I  then  put  my  right  hand  through  the 
halter  and,  taking  hold  of  the  top  of  the  bridle  with 
it,  took  the  bit  in  my  left,  and  started  to  put  it  in 
her  mouth.  Suddenly  she  gave  a  jump,  a  wheel, 
and  a  few  twists  of  the  head  that  wound  the  rope 
three  times  around  my  wrist.  Finding  that  she 
could  not  get  away,  she  reared  and  came  at  me 
with  forefeet  and  teeth.  In  less  time  than  it  takes 
to  write  it,  I  was  on  my  back  in  the  shallow  water 
with  the  mule  on  top  of  me,  kneeling  and  biting 
savagely  every  part  she  could  reach,  which  was  the 
arms  above  the  elbow  and  the  shoulders.  It  took 
all  of  my  strength  to  keep  my  head  up  and  my  face 
out  of  the  way  of  her  teeth. 

It  is  hard  enough  to  breathe  at  any  time  in  an 
altitude  of  9,000  feet,  and  it  seemed  as  though  the 
weight  of  the  mule  would  crush  my  life  out. 
When  I  began  to  think  I  could  stand  it  no  longer, 
she  gave  another  spring  and  whirl,  filled  the  air 
fuller  of  feet  than  I  cared  to  see  it,  in  an  attempt 
to  kick  herself  free  and  get  away.  We  fell  again, 
this  time  with  the  mule  kneeling  somewhat  across 
me  so  that  she  did  not  so  completely  crush  out  my 
breath  as  before.  I  was,  however,  just  as  helpless. 
My  knife  was  in  my  right  pocket  and  I  could  not 
get  at  it  to  cut  the  rope.  It  was  impossible  for  me 
to  exert  any  force  to  try  to  throw  the  animal  on 
her  side,  and  she  continued  savagely  biting  all  the 
while.  Once  she  got  my  middle  finger  between 


160  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


her  teeth,  and  from  the  way  they  closed  on  it,  I 
thought  that  would  be  the  last  of  that  finger.  I 
watched,  however,  for  the  first  indication  of  re¬ 
laxation  in  the  grip  and  snatched  my  hand  from 
her  mouth. 

Meanwhile  my  strength  was  fast  going.  It  not 
only  took  my  utmost  strength  to  keep  my  face  up 
out  of  her  reach,  but  it  took  all  my  will  power  to 
keep  from  fainting.  I  knew  that  should  I  relax, 
not  only  would  she  be  able  to  get  at  my  face  with 
her  teeth,  but  that  she  would  also  be  able  to  trample 
and  crush  my  body  in  her  frantic  efforts  to  get 
away.  The  question  that  repeated  itself  in  my 
mind  was :  “  Is  this  the  way  the  end  is  coming, 
alone  in  the  Upper  Andes,  in  a  fight  with  a  fren¬ 
zied  mule?  ”  I  then  thought  of  the  promise  I  had 
made  to  the  Indians  of  Cuzco,  to  carry  their  appeal 
to  the  people  of  the  United  States.  I  thought  of 
the  wife  that  was  waiting  my  return,  and  of  the 
children  that  still  needed  a  father  to  help  them  to 
prepare  for  life’s  work,  and  I  asked  the  heavenly 
Father,  for  their  sake,  to  send  help  in  time.  I  also 
cried  out,  as  loud  as  my  exhausted  condition 
would  permit,  for  help,  so  that  any  person  passing 
would  not  think  the  mule  was  chewing  a  dead  man. 
Just  as  I  seemed  about  to  lose  consciousness  in 
spite  of  every  effort,  the  Indian  came  up  with  two 
others.  The  mule  was  in  the  act  of  rising  to  make 
another  effort  to  get  free.  They  were  able  to 
seize  and  hold  her,  however,  and  when  they  had 


THE  BOLIVIAN  INTERIOR 


161 


released  my  hand  from  her  neck  I  collapsed  into  a 
gasping,  groaning  heap. 

One  of  the  Indians  mounted  the  mule  and  hur¬ 
ried  off  to  San  Pedro  for  help;  the  other  remained 
by  me  with  the  guide.  The  hot  sun  became  un¬ 
bearable,  and  the  men  supported  me  to  the  shade 
of  a  nearby  bush.  They  did  so,  one  getting  under 
an  arm  on  each  side.  When  they  had  raised  me  to 
my  feet,  it  seemed  incredible  that  I  should  find  no 
bones  broken,  nor  any  symptoms  of  internal  in¬ 
jury.  I  lay  for  a  while  under  the  scant  shade  of 
the  shrub  and  the  Indians  brought  me  water  from 
the  river.  The  heat  becoming  again  unbearable,  it 
seemed  as  though  I  must  get  out  of  it  somewhere, 
so  I  asked  them  to  support  me  along  the  road 
toward  San  Pedro.  This  they  did,  one  getting 
under  either  arm  as  before.  Just  a  few  rods 
ahead  we  rounded  a  curve  and  the  town,  on  the 
mountain  side  not  a  mile  away,  came  into  sight.  I 
also  saw  a  man  urging  a  mule  along  the  river  bed 
toward  us;  and,  with  the  knowledge  that  help  was 
on  the  way,  collapsed  again  in  the  shade  of  a  small 
pepper  tree. 

Mr.  George  Allan  was  the  first  to  arrive,  fol¬ 
lowed  by  some  of  the  young  men  of  the  mission, 
one  of  whom  brought  a  first-aid  kit.  They  helped 
me  onto  the  mule,  but  I  could  not  remain  there. 
Then  two  of  the  young  men  supported  me  in  the 
same  way  the  Indians  had  done,  and  we  started 
again  for  the  town.  I  shall  never  forget  how  far 


162  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 

away  it  looked.  When  we  arrived  at  the  foot  of 
the  mountain,  we  found  several  of  the  young 
ladies  of  the  mission  who  had  come  to  meet  us. 
The  young  men  laid  me  down  to  rest  again.  So 
weak  and  exhausted  was  I  that  I  would  have  spells 
of  shivering  like  a  person  with  ague.  I  must  have 
been  a  sight.  My  face  was  covered  with  blood 
from  a  small  cut  under  the  right  eyebrow,  one  on 
the  bridge  of  the  nose,  another  behind  the  ear,  that 
had  been  inflicted  by  the  mule’s  teeth  during  the 
first  desperate  struggle  to  get  my  face  out  of  her 
reach.  I  had  on  a  union  suit  of  khaki  overalls  that 
had  been  loaned  to  me  by  one  of  the  missionaries 
of  La  Paz  for  the  trip.  My  derby  was  as  battered 
and  dirty  as  that  of  any  tramp,  from  having  been 
under  us  in  the  water.  While  I  was  lying  there, 
one  of  the  young  ladies  gave  me  water  with  a 
spoon,  while  another  began  to  wash  the  blood  and 
dirt  from  my  face.  The  latter  remarked  that  they 
could  begin  to  see  what  I  looked  like.  I  asked  if 
she  thought  I  would  be  handsome  when  she  got 
through  with  me  but  she  would  not  commit  her¬ 
self.  The  first  time  I  saw  my  own  face  in  the  glass, 
I  did  not  wonder  at  her  unwillingness  to  express  an 
opinion,  for  it  was  badly  sunburned,  scratched,  and 
superficially  grazed.  After  further  rest  we  started 
slowly  up  the  hill.  I  did  not  have  much  farther  to 
walk,  however,  for  one  of  the  young  men  brought 
a  cot  on  which  they  laid  me  and  carried  me  the  rest 
of  the  way  to  the  mission  home. 


THE  BOLIVIAN  INTERIOR 


163 


I  have  never  before  been  so  glad  to  find  myself 
between  sheets.  Mr.  Shakeshaft,  one  of  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  who  had  spent  some  time  as  a  nurse  in 
the  homeopathic  hospital  in  London,  took  me  in 
charge.  From  elbow  to  elbow  over  the  shoulders 
and  around  the  back  of  the  neck  the  whole  surface 
was  perfectly  black.  There  were  very  few  places, 
however,  where  the  skin  was  broken,  though  the 
muscles  were  terribly  bruised.  The  tough  over- 
ailing  had  prevented  the  teeth  reaching  my  flesh. 
The  finger  gave  me  the  most  pain,  for  here  the 
teeth  had  reached  the  bone  and  it  became  infected. 

I  had  always  believed  in  medical  missions,  but 
had  never  had  such  a  vivid  experience  of  their 
value.  Here  I  was,  fifty-two  miles  from  a  railway 
station  and  more  than  a  hundred  miles  from  a 
doctor.  What  would  have  been  the  results  to  me 
from  this  accident,  without  the  help  of  the  mission¬ 
aries?  Not  only  at  this  time,  when  I  was  so  weak 
I  could  not  stand,  did  I  appreciate  the  help,  but 
thereafter  as  well.  At  the  stations  at  which  I 
called  on  my  return  journey  they  were  able  to 
dress  my  wounds  and  irrigate  and  dress  the  in¬ 
fected  finger.  All  of  the  Indians  living  in  this 
section  are  just  as  far  from  a  doctor  as  I  was,  in 
many  sections  much  farther.  Even  those  Indians 
living  in  the  cities  of  the  Andean  region  do  not 
have  medical  aid  and  are  even  more  ignorant  of 
how  to  care  for  themselves  than  I.  No  wonder 
they  love  the  missionaries  who  come  to  their  help 


1 64  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


with  medicines,  bandages,  and  modern  antiseptics. 

In  spite  of  my  exhausted  physical  condition  as 
a  result  of  the  accident,  I  was  able  to  accomplish 
that  for  which  I  had  come  to  San  Pedro,  namely, 
to  get  first-hand  information  regarding  the  work 
of  the  Bolivian  Indian  Mission,  and  the  need  and 
field  for  the  Quechua  New  Testament,  then  being 
brought  out  by  the  Bible  Societies.  It  was  a  pleas¬ 
ure  to  meet  Mr.  Barron,  the  native  helper  and 
translator.  Mr.  Barron,  like  many  others,  while 
not  considering  himself  an  Indian,  uses  Quechua 
in  his  home  by  preference.  His  own  attention 
was  first  called  to  the  Gospel  by  having  a  Bible 
portion  offered  to  him  in  the  Quechua  language. 
He  later  secured  a  New  Testament  in  Spanish,  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  were  brought  to  the  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  Lord  through  the  reading  and  study  of 
the  Bible,  and  by  seeking  Him  in  prayer  in  their 
own  home.  Mr.  Barron  himself  is  an  example  of 
the  power  of  God’s  Spirit  working  through  the 
printed  Word  to  change  a  man  from  a  drunkard 
and  wife-beater  into  an  earnest  Christian  worker 
devoting  all  of  his  time  to  seeking  to  spread  the 
good  news  among  his  fellow-countrymen. 

The  workers  of  this  mission  are  all  very  en¬ 
thusiastic  over  the  help  that  the  parallel  column 
New  Testament  is  going  to  be  in  the  evangelisation 
of  Quechua-speaking  Bolivia.  In  all  this  region 
everybody  speaks  Quechua.  But  few  understand 
Spanish,  still  fewer  can  read,  and  no  books  are 


THE  BOLIVIAN  INTERIOR 


165 


available  in  their  own  language.  Mr.  Allan  has 
devised  a  simple  phonetic  alphabet  by  using  the 
Spanish  letters  with  a  few  diacritical  signs  to 
represent  sounds  not  found  in  that  language,  so 
that  anyone  who  can  read  Spanish  can  now  read 
the  Quechua  also.  This  New  Testament  will  be 
valuable  to  all  Christian  workers,  in  that  it  will 
enable  them  to  acquire  the  Quechua  vocabulary  and 
to  read  the  Scriptures  to  the  people  in  their  own 
tongue.  It  will  also  be  valuable  to  all  Quechua- 
speaking  people  who  have  learned  to  read  Spanish 
because  it  will  give  them  the  Gospel  in  their  mother 
tongue  instead  of  through  a  foreign  medium,  and 
at  the  same  time  it  will  help  the  people  of  the  sec¬ 
tion  to  acquire  Spanish,  the  official  language  of 
their  country.  The  only  other  New  Testament  in 
any  of  the  many  indigenous  languages  of  South 
America  is  the  one  published  in  the  Guarani  of 
Paraguay  and  Southern  Brazil.  Much  remains  to 
be  accomplished  before  the  Indians  of  South  and 
Central  America  can  hear  the  Good  News  read  in 
their  own  tongue.  God  bless  and  prosper  the  de¬ 
voted  workers  who  are  consecrating  their  lives  to 
this  hitherto  neglected  task. 

After  a  stay  of  three  days,  I  started  on  the  re¬ 
turn  trip  from  San  Pedro  to  Arque,  on  Wednesday 
afternoon,  planning  to  make  it  by  easy  stages,  rest¬ 
ing  Thursday  in  Torocari,  then  passing  Saturday 
and  Sunday  in  Arque,  and  leaving  on  Monday’s 
train  for  Ta  Paz.  The  rains  had  been  delayed, 


166  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


they  might  come  at  any  time,  and  in  my  weak 
and  bruised  condition,  I  felt  I  had  better  hasten 
back  while  the  roads  were  at  their  best.  The  guide 
demurred  at  starting  in  the  afternoon.  He  said  it 
looked  like  rain  and  it  would  be  better  to  wait  till 
morning.  When  we  got  down  to  the  river  bed  he 
called  my  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  stream  was 
rising  as  indicated  by  its  increased  muddiness  and 
the  floating  sticks  and  leaves,  and  suggested  turn¬ 
ing  back.  I,  however,  told  him  that  we  would 
press  on  for  a  time  and  if  it  looked  too  much  like 
rain  we  would  return.  When  we  had  proceeded  a 
little  farther  he  pointed  out  to  me  the  rain  that  was 
falling  up  a  side  valley  near  a  village  we  were  to 
pass.  I  told  him  we  would  proceed  to  the  village; 
that  if  it  rained  by  the  time  we  reached  it,  we 
would  stay  there  over  night.  When  we  had 
reached  the  village  the  shower  had  passed  between 
us  and  San  Pedro.  I  then  said  we  would  continue 
our  journey  and  that  if  caught  in  the  rain  we 
would  stop  at  some  houses  that  I  had  seen  further 
up-stream.  He  consented  rather  reluctantly,  but 
helped  me  to  urge  the  mule  along.  I  was  anxious 
to  pass,  if  possible,  the  half-way  point  between 
San  Pedro  and  Torocari  where  the  valley  was  very 
narrow,  before  sufficient  rain  should  fall  to  cause 
the  stream  to  rise  and  make  it  impassible.  When 
we  had  reached  the  houses  indicated,  the  threaten¬ 
ing  storm  had  passed  behind  us,  just  sprinkling  a 
few  large  drops  on  the  stones  of  the  river  bed 


THE  BOLIVIAN  INTERIOR 


167 


where  we  were.  There  being  no  further  indica¬ 
tion  ahead  of  immediate  rain,  we  pushed  on  to 
Torocari. 

I  was  very  cordially  received  by  the  Powlisons 
and  spent  the  following  day  with  them,  taking  a 
complete  rest,  and  getting  information  regarding 
their  work.  Friday  morning  we  started  long  be¬ 
fore  daylight,  and  saw  the  sun  rise  from  the  frost- 
covered  top  of  the  mountain  referred  to  previ¬ 
ously  as  a  llama  pasture.  On  our  return  to  the 
sheep  ranch,  upon  inquiry  regarding  the  little  girl, 
we  found  she  was  much  better.  After  a  short  rest 
we  again  set  out,  and  reached  the  top  of  the  moun¬ 
tain  overlooking  the  valley  in  which  Arque  is  situ¬ 
ated,  in  time  to  see  the  early  afternoon  train  on 
which  I  had  arrived  from  La  Paz  the  week  before, 
pass  down  the  valley  on  its  way  to  Cochabamba. 

As  we  neared  Arque,  going  along  the  bed  of  the 
river  we  heard  a  noise  on  the  spur  above  us  of 
small  stones  falling  down  the  mountain  side.  My 
mule  jumped  and  broke  into  a  run.  Simultane¬ 
ously  the  Indian  started  to  run,  shouting  to  me  to 
do  the  same.  This  was  a  new  experience.  Look¬ 
ing  back  I  saw  the  cause  of  the  terror  of  man  and 
animal.  A  few  pieces  of  an  accumulation  of  rock 
debris  on  the  mountain  side  had  lost  their  equi¬ 
librium  and  had  fallen  into  the  valley.  These 
pieces  of  rock  might  have  been  the  beginning  of 
an  avalanche  that  would  have  buried  us  under  a 
pile  of  disintegrated  rock.  The  avalanche  would 


168  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


surely  come  with  the  beginning  of  the  rain;  but  for 
the  present  these  few  small  pieces  were  all  that  fell. 

We  reached  Arque  as  the  missionary  family 
were  at  the  evening  meal,  and  found  there  Mrs. 
Allan  with  a  new  missionary  who  had  come  via 
La  Paz  on  her  way  to  San  Pedro,  also  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lowson,  of  Australia,  who  had  been  spending 
some  time  visiting  the  different  stations  of  the 
mission.  Mr.  McKinney  dressed  my  wounds  and 
I  retired  for  the  night  almost  immediately.  I  was 
awakened  by  a  downpour  of  rain  and  the  noise  of 
the  rushing  river.  The  rains  had  begun,  and  I 
was  more  than  glad  that  I  had  not  taken  the  advice 
of  the  Indian  to  delay  my  start  from  San  Pedro. 
After  spending  Saturday  and  Sunday  in  Arque, 
and  hearing  again  the  enthusiastic  singing  of  the 
Gospel  songs  in  Quechua  by  the  children,  I  took 
the  Monday  train  for  La  Paz. 

During  my  trips  into  the  interior  of  Bolivia  I 
have  been  amply  repaid  for  the  time  spent  in  study¬ 
ing  the  simple  Quechua  grammar.  I  have  always 
found  the  guides  companionable  and  responsive  to 
any  attempts  at  communication.  It  has  been  an 
agreeable  pastime  to  try  out  on  them  my  own 
Quechua  vocabulary,  and  to  add  to  it  words  I 
could  catch  from  their  replies;  this  was  especially 
the  case  with  the  guide  who  took  me  to  San  Pedro. 
Though  he  did  not  speak  Spanish,  quite  a  friend¬ 
ship  sprang  up  between  us  aided  by  my  attempts 
to  increase  my  vocabulary.  The  names  of  some  of 


SUNDAY  SCHOOL,  ARQUE,  BOLIVIA. 
QUECHUA-SPEAKIXG  HALF-CASTE  CHILDREN  (Above) 

AYMARA  INDIAN  BOYS  PASTURING  CATTLE  AND 
GATHERING  REEDS  IN  MARSHES  OF  LAKE 
TITICACA  (Below) 


THE  BOLIVIAN  INTERIOR 


169 


the  birds  seen  were  not  difficult  to  remember,  being 
imitations  of  the  cries  of  the  birds  themselves.  A 
large  bird  with  habits  of  the  American  flicker,  but 
about  twice  as  large,  was  the  “  yacayaca  ”  another 
which  I  looked  upon  as  the  Bolivian  mocking-bird 
he  called  the  “  chirichiri  ”  and  still  another,  a 
wader,  that  we  saw  in  damp  places,  was  the 
“  yoqueyoque ” 

When  I  said  goodbye  to  the  guide  after  several 
days  of  companionship  and  imperfect  communica¬ 
tion,  during  which  he  had  looked  after  the  welfare 
of  the  animal,  and  my  own  when  required,  and  had 
saved  my  life  in  one  instance  although  attacked  and 
bitten  himself  by  the  mule  while  so  doing,  it  was 
with  a  feeling  of  regret  that,  because  of  his  lack  of 
knowledge  of  Spanish  and  my  ignorance  of  his 
own  language,  we  had  not  been  able  to  form  a 
closer  acquaintance.  We  had  however  been  able 
to  express  ourselves,  although  imperfectly,  in  the 
universal  signs  of  helpfulness  and  goodwill. 


XI 


THE  CRADLE  OF  THE  INCAS 


METROPOLIS,  capital,  and  shrine,  mother 
of  language,  religion,  learning,  and  law, 
as  well  as  of  cities  and  colonies,  was 
Cuzco  to  the  Inca  Empire.  It  was  the  center  from 
which  these  efficient  rulers  extended  their  con¬ 
quests  in  every  direction,  builded  extensive  mili¬ 
tary  roads,  east  to  the  coast,  north  to  Quito,  Ecua¬ 
dor,  and  south  into  Chile  and  the  Argentine ; 
supervised  extensive  irrigation  systems,  and  ruled 
the  country  better  than  it  has  ever  been  governed 
since  the  Spanish  Conquest.  It  was  from  Cuzco 
also  that  radiated  the  influence  of  the  religion  of 
the  sun  god,  and  from  this  center  were  sent  out 
the  language  teachers  that  did  their  work  so  well 
that  to  this  day  “  runa  simi  ”  the  “  speech  of 
humans,”  as  they  still  proudly  call  it,  is  the  tongue 
of  all  the  mountain  region  and  central  plateau  from 
Quito  to  Chile  except  in  the  section  occupied  by  the 
sturdy  Aymaras  who,  though  subdued,  never  sur¬ 
rendered  the  speech  of  their  fathers.  It  is  esti¬ 
mated  that  Quechua  in  its  slightly  differing  dialects 
is  spoken  by  more  than  3,000,000  people  in  Ecua¬ 
dor,  Peru  and  Bolivia,  and  Aymara  by  but  500,000. 

170 


CRADLE  OF  THE  INCAS 


171 


Not  only  do  rivers,  cities,  and  mountains  from 
Ecuador  to  Northern  Argentine  bear  evidence  to 
this  day  of  former  Inca  rule,  in  the  same  way  as 
memorials  of  former  Indian  languages  are  to  be 
found  in  such  geographical  names  in  North  Amer¬ 
ica,  but  unlike  North  America,  these  objects  of 
nature  re-echo  today  in  the  interior  the  same 
sounds  spoken  by  the  same  race  whose  language, 
though  enriched,  has  been  but  little  altered  by  400 
years’  contact  with  Spanish.  Cuzco  (“  the  navel  ”) 
is  still  famous  not  only  for  its  ruined  temples  and 
fortresses  where  outraged  heathendom  made  its 
last  stand  against  Christian  (?)  greed  and  perfidy, 
but  as  a  center  where  the  Quechua  language  is  still 
to  be  found  in  its  greatest  purity,  and  where  it  has 
been  least  influenced  by  the  language  of  the 
conqueror. 

Although  but  360  miles  in  a  direct  line  from 
Lima,  the  present  capital  of  Peru,  it  is  a  journey 
of  five  days  by  the  quickest  route;  two  days  by  sea 
to  Mollendo,  two  days  by  rail  to  the  railroad  junc¬ 
tion  at  Juliaca,  or  to  Puno  on  Lake  Titicaca,  if  one 
prefers  to  pass  the  night  there.  Another  day’s 
travel  takes  us  into  the  center  of  one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  fascinating  regions  of  the  western 
world ;  fascinating  because  of  its  history,  legends 
and  archaeological  attractions;  interesting  because 
of  its  being  the  living  grave  of  a  throttled  race  who 
have  held  tenaciously  to  their  customs,  supersti¬ 
tions  and  language,  and  who  are  beginning  again 


172  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


to  thrill  with  the  sensation  of  race  consciousness, 
and  to  feel  that  extermination  would  be  better  than 
the  long-drawn-out  torture  of  which  they  are  now 
the  victims. 

The  first  part  of  the  road  from  Puno  to  Cuzco 
is  along  the  central  plain  which  was  the  former 
lake  bed  when  the  present  body  of  water,  now 
about  the  size  of  Cake  Erie,  was  a  great  inland  sea. 
This  lake  bed  forms  the  present  elevated  plateau, 
and  is  surrounded  by  apparently  low-lying  moun¬ 
tains.  I  say,  apparently  low-lying,  because  they 
are  really  towering  peaks.  Our  present  elevation 
is  13,000  feet  above  sea  level,  which  makes  these 
stupendous  masses  appear  comparatively  low.  As 
we  approach  the  mountains  at  the  edge  of  the 
plateau,  former  shore  lines  are  noted  on  the  en¬ 
closing  slopes. 

The  day’s  ride  is  a  long,  hard  one,  twelve  hours’ 
run  over  a  rough  road  in  uncomfortable  cars  with 
low-backed  seats.  As  we  climb  the  mountain  bar¬ 
rier  which  separates  the  tableland  of  Lake  Titicaca 
from  the  basin  of  the  Amazon,  we  note  the 
dwindling  of  the  small  river  along  the  valley  of 
w^hich  we  are  traveling  until  it  becomes  but  a 
trickling  stream.  At  the  summit  of  the  divide,  we 
pass  between  two  snow-clad  peaks,  the  melting 
snows  of  which  form  the  origin  of  the  stream  we 
have  been  following.  Someone  had  made  a  small 
mud  dam  across  the  railroad  ditch  at  the  highest 
point.  The  water  on  one  side  of  this  dam  flows 


CRADLE  OF  THE  INCAS 


173 


into  Lake  Titicaca  from  whence  it  is  carried 
through  the  outlet  of  this  body  of  water,  the 
Desaguadero  River,  to  evaporate  later  in  the  great 
salt  marshes  in  the  interior  of  Bolivia.  The  water 
on  the  other  side  of  the  little  dam  is  starting  on  its 
long  road  to  the  ocean  and  forms  the  beginning  of 
one  of  the  many  tributaries  of  the  mighty  Amazon. 
For  the  greater  part  of  the  remainder  of  the  day 
we  follow  this  little  stream  until  it  becomes  a 
rushing  river. 

The  first  part  of  the  journey  is  through  a 
pastoral  country.  We  see  great  mountain  valleys 
where  large  flocks  of  sheep,  llamas,  and  alpacas  are 
feeding  in  the  care  of  Indian  shepherds.  Fre¬ 
quently  the  llamas  feeding  on  the  dizzy  heights 
look  like  moving  specks  in  the  distance.  As  we 
begin  the  descent,  and  throughout  the  day,  the 
character  of  the  agriculture  being  carried  on  indi¬ 
cates  the  change  of  climate  with  the  decreasing 
altitude.  The  first  cultivated  crops  seen  are  small 
patches  of  barley  and  potatoes,  then  wheat  and  peas 
appear ;  later,  corn,  and,  finally,  a  few  of  the 
prickly  pear  cacti  indicate  that  we  are  reaching  a 
warmer  region. 

The  people  of  the  tableland  and  higher  elevations 
where  the  country  is  pastoral,  live  in  isolated, 
grass-thatched  adobe  or  stone  huts,  in  the  vicinity 
of  which  are  the  walled  enclosures  for  the  flocks. 
As  we  descend  to  the  agricultural  region,  hamlets 
and  villages  begin  to  appear,  becoming  larger  and 


174  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


more  populous  as  we  proceed.  The  village  houses 
are  mostly  small,  one-roomed  huts,  built  of  stone 
and  adobe,  covered  with  red  brick  tiles,  and  hud¬ 
dled  together  along  narrow  streets.  The  villages 
follow  each  other  in  rapid  succession.  This 
thickly-populated  valley  is  without  any  evangelis¬ 
ing  agency  whatever. 

The  language  spoken  in  Puno  and  on  the  table¬ 
land  is  largely  Aymara.  That  spoken  in  this  val¬ 
ley,  in  fact  throughout  all  this  region,  is  Quechua, 
a  language  which  has  suffered  but  little  change 
throughout  the  centuries  of  contact  with  Spanish. 
I  had  been  casually  studying  the  language  ever 
since  my  arrival  in  Lima,  and  had  acquired  a  vo¬ 
cabulary  of  several  scores  of  words.  It  was  a 
source  of  great  pleasure  to  find,  in  testing  out  these 
words  on  some  of  the  Indians  at  the  railway  sta¬ 
tions,  that  I  had  acquired  the  correct  pronunci¬ 
ation  ;  at  least  they  understood  what  I  meant  when 
I  named  certain  articles  in  their  own  language. 
They  seemed  surprised  and  pleased  to  find  that  an 
American  should  be  able  to  use  any  Quechua  at  all. 

Hearing  no  Spanish  whatever  at  the  stations,  we 
realise  that  we  have  at  last  reached  the  very  center 
of  Indian  America,  the  seat  of  power  from  which 
radiated  the  influence  of  this  remarkable  people, 
the  Incas  or  “  children  of  the  sun,”  whose  laws, 
customs,  and  monuments  have  been  the  wonder  and 
admiration  of  scholars.  These  customs  and  lan¬ 
guage  are  with  us  today,  very  little  modified  during 


CRADLE  OF  THE  INCAS 


175 


the  time  that  has  passed  since  the  conquest,  but  the 
people  whom  we  see  begging  at  the  railway  sta¬ 
tions,  bowing  under  heavy  burdens,  digging  up  the 
earth  with  rude  hoes  (because,  here  in  Peru, 
human  labour  is  cheaper  than  that  of  animals)  are 
among  the  most  abused,  ill-treated,  and  oppressed 
beings  to  be  found  upon  the  face  of  the  earth. 

With  what  mingled  emotions  do  we  direct  our 
journey  towards  Cuzco,  this  former  center  of  a 
ruined  civilisation.  The  heart  beats  faster  as  we 
think  of  the  temerity  of  the  little  band  of  Spanish 
adventurers  who  risked  all  and  almost  surpassed 
the  limits  of  human  endurance  in  their  determina¬ 
tion  to  accomplish  their  purpose  and  secure  for 
themselves  and  their  monarch  the  fabulous  riches 
of  the  great  unknown  continent.  The  blood  boils 
with  indignation  at  the  treachery  displayed  and  the 
foul  murders  to  which  they  descended,  at  the  hy¬ 
pocrisy  of  the  conniving  priests  in  offering  the  In¬ 
dian  monarch,  Atahualpa,  death  by  decapitation 
instead  of  by  burning  if  he  would  submit  to  the 
ritual  of  baptism.  With  what  depression  and  feel¬ 
ings  of  commiseration  do  we  witness  the  present 
degrading  physical,  moral,  and  spiritual  slavery  of 
the  Indian  of  today  and  the  inhuman  indifference 
of  the  parasites,  both  clerical  and  lay,  that  fatten 
at  his  expense.  The  mind  is  also  filled  with 
ominous  forebodings  of  possible  future  disaster 
and  bloodshed  as  a  consequence  of  the  development 
of  race  consciousness  on  the  part  of  the  indigenes. 


176  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


Exploited,  oppressed,  robbed,  degraded,  and  brutal¬ 
ised  to  an  almost  unbelievable  extent,  the  Indian 
has  become  apathetic  and  hopeless  in  his  misery 
and  helplessness.  His  one  relaxation  is  the  exhila¬ 
ration  of  getting  beastly  drunk  on  feast  days  and 
other  special  occasions.  His  one  comfort  is  the 
cocaine  extracted  from  the  coca  leaf  which  he 
chews  for  its  anaesthetic  effect  upon  his  hungry 
stomach  and  weary  muscles  as  well  as  for  its  dead¬ 
ening  effect  upon  his  mental  sensibilities,  enabling 
him  as  it  does  to  mechanically  and  unthinkingly  ac¬ 
complish  long  and  burdensome  tasks  with  but  little 
nourishment.  Both  of  these  vices,  coca  chewing 
and  drunkenness,  are  encouraged  by  the  ruling 
class  for  the  profit  from  the  sales  of  rum  and  coca, 
and  because  of  their  assistance  in  keeping  the  In¬ 
dian  in  his  degrading  position  of  ignorance,  indebt¬ 
edness,  and  subjection.  “  Those  are  my  tractors,” 
said  a  wealthy  land-owner  to  me,  pointing  at  the 
same  time  to  some  Indian  peons  standing  near, 
“  and  the  coca-leaf  is  my  gasoline.  The)7  won’t 
work  without  coca.  With  plenty  of  coca  to  chew 
they  will  work  from  morning  to  night  without 
anything  to  eat.” 

There  are  evidences,  however,  that  the  worm  is 
beginning  to  turn.  Centuries  of  repressed  resent¬ 
ment  are  finding  vent  in  refusals  to  work  and  in 
efforts  at  organisation  to  secure  protection  from 
the  central  government  in  Eima.  Most,  if  not  all, 
of  the  reported  uprisings  against  local  authority, 


CRADLE  OF  THE  INCAS 


177 


have,  however,  been  unprovoked  massacres  of 
harmless  groups  of  Indians  by  the  landlords  and 
local  officials  in  their  policy  of  intimidation.  The 
Indians  have  nowhere  as  yet  denied  the  authority 
of  the  Central  Government.  Not  the  least  of  the 
emotions  that  stir  one  on  a  visit  to  the  former 
capital  of  the  Incas  are  those  arising  from  a  con¬ 
sciousness  of  the  fact  that  it  is  still  not  too  late  to 
save  this  hardy  race  to  civilisation,  to  Christianity, 
and  to  the  Kingdom  of  God  by  the  Master’s  pro¬ 
gram  of  loving  ministry  to  their  physical,  mental, 
and  spiritual  needs. 

Bewildered,  disorganised,  and  demoralised  by 
the  suddenness  of  the  attack  of  the  Spaniards  aided 
by  the  supernatural  animals, — the  horses, — and  the 
thunder  and  lightning  of  their  guns,  the  Indian  ap¬ 
parently  lost  race  consciousness  and  submitted,  not 
only  to  a  domination,  but  to  become  the  property 
of  the  conquerors.  The  Indian  is  beginning  to  feel 
that  extermination  and  death  would  be  preferable 
to  his  present  condition.  He  is  beginning  to  find 
himself  and  to  develop  a  race  consciousness.  The 
shedding  of  rivers  of  blood  may  be  prevented  and 
possibly  a  war  of  extermination  avoided  by  our 
coming  to  the  help  of  the  Indian  at  this  time,  giv¬ 
ing  him  the  education  that  is  needed  to  fit  him  for 
Christian  citizenship  and  enable  him  to  obtain  his 
rights  by  peaceful  reform  through  the  ballot  box. 

Cuzco  is  still  marvelous  for  its  many  ruins, 
skilfully  wrought  records  in  imperishable  rock  of 


178  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


a  departed  past,  indicating  the  wealth,  power,  and 
skill  of  the  builders  of  the  Inca  empire.  In  many 
cases,  modern  buildings,  both  secular  and  ecclesi¬ 
astical,  have  been  erected  upon  the  foundations  of 
the  original,  destroyed  edifices.  In  every  case,  the 
part  of  the  building  which  is  of  modern  construc¬ 
tion  is  crude,  imperfect,  and  puerile  as  compared 
with  the  work  of  the  Inca  builders.  Modern 
masonry  in  Cuzco  cannot  compete  with  the  skill 
and  accuracy  with  which  the  immense  stones  com¬ 
posing  these  ancient  structures  were  fitted  together. 
The  work  was  so  neatly  done  without  the  aid  of 
mortar  or  cement,  that,  over  hundreds  of  square 
feet  of  wall-facing,  one  cannot  find  a  crevice.  At 
the  corner  joints  of  some  of  these  great  blocks  of 
andesite,  not  even  a  needle  can  be  introduced,  so 
closely  matched  are  they.  How  it  was  done,  by 
what  means  these  great  stone  blocks  were  brought 
from  the  quarries  and  placed  in  their  present  posi¬ 
tion  was  long  a  mystery.  We  have  stood  in  admi¬ 
ration  before  these  silent  witnesses  of  the  past, 
awed  at  the  skill  and  accuracy  of  the  builders 
whose  only  historic  records  were  kept  by  knots 
tied  on  strings  of  different  length  and  colour. 

When  the  train  arrived  at  Cuzco,  there  was  a 
rush  of  Indian  boys  and  men  into  the  car  to  secure 
the  baggage,  similar  to  the  rush  at  Puno,  but  the 
crowd  was  a  shade  less  disreputable  than  that  of 
the  Lake-city.  Rev.  Wm.  Milham  and  Dr.  James 
Buchanan  were  at  the  station  to  meet  me.  I 


CRADLE  OF  THE  INCAS 


179 


handed  my  baggage  to  them  from  the  car  window, 
then  made  my  way  through  the  crowd  to  where 
they  stood.  It  seemed  strange  to  see  no  coaches, 
autos,  nor  drivers  soliciting  passengers.  I  soon 
learned,  however,  that  the  streets  of  Cuzco,  being 
very  roughly  and  unevenly  paved  with  cobblestone, 
are  not  adapted  to  any  kind  of  passenger  vehicle. 
There  was  a  small  street  car  drawn  by  mules,  but 
this  was  so  crowded  that  it  was  necessary  for  us  to 
walk  to  the  mission  quarters. 

The  altitude  of  Cuzco  is  11,100  feet  above  sea 
level,  and  I  found  that  I  must  continue  to  move 
slowly  as  I  had  not  yet  become  sufficiently  adapted 
to  the  elevation  to  be  able  to  exercise  freely.  Dr. 
Buchanan  very  kindly  took  my  arm  to  keep  me 
from  stumbling  in  the  dimly-lighted  street,  as  we 
walked  over  stones  and  through  mud  to  Monjas- 
pata,  as  the  pretty  mission  plant  in  the  suburbs  of 
Cuzco  is  called. 

Cuzco  is  a  mission  station  of  the  Evangelical 
Union  of  South  America,  that  was  opened  more 
than  twenty  years  ago  by  the  Regions  Beyond 
Mission,  under  the  direction  of  the  late  Dr.  Grat- 
ten  Guiness,  of  London,  England.  The  first  mis¬ 
sionaries  were  driven  out  by  an  infuriated  mob 
seeking  to  kill  them,  instigated  and  led  by  the 
priests.  One  of  the  missionaries,  the  Rev.  John 
T.  Jarret,  now  at  Cerete,  Colombia,  was  conva¬ 
lescing  from  smallpox  at  the  time.  There  was 
no  railroad,  and  these  persecuted  workers  were 


180  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


obliged  to  make  their  way  overland,  as  best  they 
could,  to  Lima.  Nothing  daunted,  they  soon  re¬ 
turned,  this  time  not  ostensibly  as  missionaries  but 
as  English  business  men.  They  could  thus  claim 
the  legal  protection  of  treaty  rights.  A  mechanic’s 
workshop  was  established,  and  the  first  photo¬ 
graphic  studio  in  Cuzco  was  set  up  by  Mr.  F. 
Peters.  Public  meetings  for  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel  were  prohibited  by  law.  The  missionaries, 
however,  talked  to  little  groups  in  their  own  places 
of  business  and  held  religious  services  in  their 
homes. 

Finally,  medical  assistance  proved  to  be  the 
opening  wedge  and  the  breaker-down  of  the  wall 
of  prejudice.  It  was  started  by  the  wife  of  one  of 
the  missionaries  offering  to  assist  a  lady  in  an 
approaching  confinement.  Hitherto  the  ladies  had 
not  been  able  to  get  into  the  homes  of  the  people  or 
to  reach  the  women  in  any  way.  From  that  time 
on,  doors  began  to  open.  There  is  hardly  a  house 
in  Cuzco  that  at  one  time  or  other  in  the  last  fifteen 
years  has  not  opened  its  doors  to  the  devoted 
nurses  connected  with  this  mission. 

The  mission  was  primarily  established  with  the 
idea  of  preaching  the  Gospel  only.  There  are  still 
many  of  its  supporters  who  look  askance  at  medical 
or  educational  missions.  Yet  I  found  in  this  quiet 
suburb  of  Cuzco  a  very  complete  mission  plant, 
organised  to  meet  the  most  pressing  needs  of  the 
community.  The  missionaries  on  the  field  have 


CRADLE  OF  THE  INCAS 


181 


seen  the  necessity  of  ministering  to  the  physical 
needs  of  those  about  them  and  are  here  carrying 
on  the  three-fold  activities  of  healing,  teaching  and 
preaching.  On  a  mission  farm,  located  several 
miles  down  the  valley,  Mr.  Payne  (an  agricultural 
missionary)  is  acting  as  preacher,  builder,  doctor 
and  surgeon,  judge,  and  general  grandfather  to  the 
children  in  the  farm  orphanage  and  to  the  eighty 
or  ninety  Indian  families  living  on  the  immense 
plantation. 

In  a  section  where  scientific  agriculture  was  un¬ 
known,  where  sugar  cane  is  grown  for  the  manu¬ 
facture  of  rum  only,  and  where  the  labourers  were 
obliged  to  take  one-half  of  their  pay  in  rum,  Mr. 
Payne  is  undertaking  to  show  what  can  be  done 
with  the  soil  to  make  the  country  a  better  place  in 
which  to  live.  In  a  treeless  region  he  has  planted 
thousands  of  eucalyptus.  A  great  deal  of  the 
wheat  was  formerly  lost  by  rust.  Mr.  Payne  has 
developed  a  rust-resisting  wheat,  and  for  some 
years  has  supplied  seed  of  this  wheat  to  the  gov¬ 
ernment  of  Peru.  The  average  size  of  the  pota¬ 
toes  grown  in  the  district  was  that  of  a  hen’s  egg. 
Mr.  Payne  has  shown  that  the  size  of  these  can  be 
greatly  increased.  By  crossing  the  southern  white 
corn  of  the  United  States  with  the  native  Peruvian 
maize,  he  has  developed  a  corn  which  is  considered 
by  experts  to  be  the  best  known  to  agricultural 
science.  The  first  cross  from  rams  brought  from 
British  Colombia  has  shown  that  a  sheep  should 


182  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


produce  eight  pounds  of  wool  instead  of  three, 
which  is  the  average  yield  of  the  scrubs  kept  by 
the  Indian  shepherds. 

But  to  return  to  Cuzco :  the  missionary  home  is 
in  the  center  of  a  large  compound  and  has  separate 
quarters  for  the  missionary  in  charge,  the  doctor’s 
family,  the  young  lady  nurses,  and  teacher,  who 
compose  the  mission  staff.  Two  rooms  are  de¬ 
voted  to  a  day  school  which  is  in  charge  of  Mrs. 
Milham  assisted  by  Miss  Joyce  Baker,  B.A.  There 
is  a  small  dispensary,  and  recently  three  small 
rooms  have  been  added  and  set  apart  as  a  hospital 
for  lying-in  patients.  The  day  I  arrived  there  were 
five  patients  in  these  three  rooms.  A  small  adobe 
school-house  was  being  put  up  during  my  visit  and 
has  since  been  completed. 

The  nurses,  whose  time  is  so  fully  occupied  that 
they  are  taking  maternity  cases  only,  expressed  a 
great  deal  of  satisfaction  with  the  hospital  rooms. 
It  had  been  their  invariable  custom  to  present  each 
woman  attended  with  a  copy  of  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment,  and  when  favourable  opportunity  offered  to 
engage  in  religious  conversation  or  have  prayer 
with  the  patient.  However,  it  was  not  like  being 
in  their  own  home.  Since  they  have  had  these 
rooms  to  which  they  have  been  able  to  bring  their 
patients,  they  have  adopted  the  custom  of  holding 
an  evening  service  with  music,  Bible  reading,  and 
prayer.  It  was  my  privilege  to  lead  this  service 
one  night.  The  three  rooms  are  so  connected  that 


CRADLE  OF  THE  INCAS 


183 


all  of  the  patients  can  hear.  The  women  greatly 
enjoy  the  service,  and  the  reader  will  fully  realise 
that  such  an  occasion  is  a  most  favourable  one  for 
a  consecrated  nurse  to  influence  the  lives  of  her 
patients  for  good. 

I  spoke  of  the  mission  plant  at  Monjaspata  as 
being  comparatively  complete.  Its  completeness  is 
in  its  organisation  on  a  small  scale  to  serve  the 
community.  Medical  assistance  for  the  poor  given 
by  a  competent  physician  and  surgeon,  obstetrical 
care  for  maternity  cases,  with  three  rooms  for 
lying-in  patients,  a  primary  school  in  charge  of 
Mrs.  Milham  assisted  by  Miss  Baker,  a  chapel  for 
religious  services  which  also  serves  as  a  library  and 
reading  room  for  young  men  certain  afternoons 
and  evenings  of  the  week,  and  a  boys’  club,  are  all 
well  included  in  the  activities  of  these  self-effacing 
workers. 

The  boys’  club  had  originated  in  the  hospital. 
One  of  the  patients,  a  woman  of  the  better  class, 
was  so  favourably  impressed  during  her  stay  with 
the  missionary  nurses  that,  when  she  learned  they 
would  like  to  find  a  place  where  they  could  take 
young  boys  in  from  the  streets  and  teach  them 
something  useful,  she  offered  to  let  them  have  the 
basement  of  her  home.  A  boys’  club  was  formed 
which  had  thirty  members  at  the  time  of  my  visit. 
The  boys  were  learning  wood  carving  and  going 
through  such  athletics  as  they  could  without  appa¬ 
ratus.  The  club  was  a  godsend  for  these  boys, 


184  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


since  good,  healthy  sports  are  woefully  lacking  in 
much  of  South  America. 

The  work  of  these  consecrated  nurses,  Misses 
Pinn  and  Michell,  deserves  special  mention.  The 
mission  they  are  engaged  in  has  done  more  in 
Cuzco  to  break  down  the  prejudice  against  Protest¬ 
ants  than  all  other  factors  combined.  They  hold 
themselves  in  readiness  to  respond  to  the  call  of 
any  woman  in  need,  from  the  wife  of  the  Governor 
to  that  of  the  poorest  Indian  woman  living  under 
the  stoop  of  the  steps  of  some  building  in  a 
crowded  part  of  the  city,  where  there  is  not  room 
to  stand  erect,  and  where  everything  must  be  done 
in  a  crouching  position,  groping  one’s  way  around 
the  other  occupants  of  the  den  squatting  on  the 
floor,  with  dogs  and  guinea  pigs  running  under 
foot.  Those  who  are  able,  pay  something  for  the 
midwifery  services,  and  the  proceeds  from  such  pa¬ 
tients  are  sufficient  to  pay  the  salaries  of  the  mis¬ 
sionary  nurses.  Many  are  unable  to  pay,  but  all 
receive  the  same  care  and  prompt  attention.  While 
their  work  has  not  been  considered  a  mission  to  the 
Indians,  yet  the  nurses  have  treated  so  many  Indian 
women  in  their  time  of  need,  and  so  many  other  In¬ 
dians  have  been  treated  at  the  dispensary  in  Mon- 
jaspata,  and  by  Mr.  Payne,  on  the  farm,  that  the 
people  of  the  whole  region  have  come  to  realise  that 
the  missionaries  are  their  friends,  and  they  turn  to 
them  in  time  of  need,  as  the  only  white  people  from 
whom  they  can  expect  a  sympathetic  hearing. 


XII 


THE  MACEDONIAN  CRY 


BEFORE  reaching  Cuzco  I  had  seen  by  the 
papers  that  a  large  number  of  representa¬ 
tive  Indians  from  all  over  the  department 
had  gathered  at  the  ancient  capital,  which  is  the 
present  capital  of  the  Department,  in  an  attempt 
to  make  representation  to  the  Government  of  the 
wrongs  they  were  suffering  and  to  request  protec¬ 
tion  from  the  rapacity  of  the  landlords  and  clergy. 
Nothing  had  been  accomplished,  however,  beyond 
furnishing  material  for  patriotic  speeches  for  the 
students  of  the  University  of  Cuzco  and  furnish¬ 
ing  additional  evidence,  if  such  were  needed,  that 
the  Indians  were  becoming  more  and  more  dis¬ 
satisfied  with  their  present  condition. 

As  we  approached  the  mission  quarters  at  Mon- 
jaspata,  the  evening  of  my  arrival,  I  saw  some 
Indians  sitting  in  the  school-room  listening  very 
attentively  to  Miss  Michell,  one  of  the  missionary 
nurses,  who  was  speaking  to  them  through  an  in¬ 
terpreter.  My  interest  was  aroused  and  I  asked 
Mr.  Milham  who  these  Indians  were.  He  told  me 
that  a  few  of  them  had  come  at  the  invitation  of  a 
friend  to  the  regular  meeting  the  night  before.  A 

185 


186  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


couple  of  Gospel  choruses  had  been  sung  for  them 
in  their  own  language,  and  they  had  heard  the 
Gospel  for  the  first  time.  They  had  returned  to¬ 
night,  bringing  a  few  others  with  them,  and  asked 
if  they  might  not  hear  the  singing  and  the  good 
word  again.  I  was  all  ears  at  once,  and,  forgetting 
that  the  evening  meal  would  probably  be  waiting 
me,  asked  if  I  might  not  attend  the  meeting.  No 
objection  being  made,  I  entered  the  little  school¬ 
room  and  took  my  seat  among  the  listening 
Indians. 

Miss  Michell  was  telling  the  Indians  very  simply 
how  to  pray.  They  must  talk  to  God  just  as  they 
would  to  a  person,  telling  Him  their  needs.  She 
gave  an  example  of  answered  prayer  that  had  re¬ 
cently  come  into  her  own  experience.  She  had 
purchased  a  horse  for  the  work  of  the  mission.  In 
a  few  days  it  was  stolen.  She  took  the  matter  to 
the  Lord,  saying :  “  Father,  we  bought  this  horse 
for  your  work  because  we  thought  you  wanted  us 
to  have  it.  If  you  do  want  us  to  have  the  horse 
please  help  us  to  find  it  again.”  In  a  short  time 
the  thief  attempted  to  sell  the  horse  to  a  person 
who  recognised  it  and  it  was  recovered  for  the  mis¬ 
sion.  The  Indians  followed  with  great  interest  the 
simple  illustrations  given  by  Miss  Michell,  nodding 
frequently  to  show  that  they  understood. 

Suddenly  I  became  conscious  that  my  obligations 
to  my  hostess,  Mrs.  Milham,  would  not  permit  me 
to  remain  longer,  and  asked  if  I  might  have  a 


THE  MACEDONIAN  CRY 


187 


word.  I  told  the  Indians  that  I  wanted  to  say  that 
I  loved  them,  that  I  had  been  thinking  a  great  deal 
about  them  and  praying  for  them  ever  since  leav¬ 
ing  my  home  in  Cristobal,  that  I  had  even  begun  to 
study  their  language  that  I  might  get  to  understand 
them  better.  I  spoke  to  them  of  God,  the  loving 
Father,  and  the  Book  He  had  given  us ;  told  them 
that  I  represented  the  Society  that  had  translated 
a  part  of  God’s  Book  into  their  language;  that  the 
cause  of  our  troubles  was  disobedience;  that  the 
secret  of  individual  and  national  success  in  life 
was  to  be  found  in  obedience  to  the  law  of  God; 
that  it  should  be  the  first  business  of  every  man  to 
find  out  the  will  of  God  that  he  might  do  it. 

When  I  was  through  speaking,  an  old  chief 
arose,  thanked  me  very  effusively  for  my  interest 
in  them,  and  asked  me  to  convey  their  thanks  to  the 
people  who  had  sent  me.  Of  course,  I  could  not 
understand  the  words ;  they  were  interpreted  to  me 
later.  Then  all  the  remaining  Indians,  ten  or  a 
dozen,  arose  and  simultaneously  expressed  the 
same  sentiments.  I  withdrew  touched  to  the  heart 
by  this  immediate  response  to  my  first  effort  to 
establish  sympathetic  relations  with  the  Indians 
of  Peru. 

Nature  has  done  much  for  this  whole  Andean 
region;  man,  little  or  nothing,  except  to  pollute  it 
physically  and  morally.  Many  of  the  scenes  of 
mountain  grandeur  and  pristine  purity  of  snow¬ 
capped  peaks  must  remain  with  the  traveler  for 


188  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


life,  as  well  as  the  scenes  of  dire  misery,  filth,  and 
squalour  of  the  Indian  population.  I  had  spent  a 
part  of  my  first  morning  in  Cuzco  on  the  front 
balcony  of  the  second  story  of  the  mission  home, 
gazing  entranced  at  the  beautiful  panorama  pre¬ 
sented  by  the  valley  before  me.  Range  after  range 
of  mountain-tops  were  to  be  seen  until  they  faded 
in  the  blue  distance,  approaching  each  other  from 
opposite  sides  of  the  valley  with  their  lowering 
crests  overlapping  near  the  line  where  the  river 
vallev  cut  across  them.  Athwart  the  center  of  the 
hazy  mountainous  background  was  an  immense, 
elongated,  snow-covered  giant,  that  had  hitherto 
defied  the  attempts  of  the  forces  of  erosion  to 
bring  its  top  below  the  snow  line.  There  it  stood 
— a  sentinel  guarding  the  valley.  The  scene  was 
magnificent  and  inspiring.  One  could  envy  the 
missionaries  at  Monjaspata  the  privilege  of  such 
an  inspirational  view  before  beginning  the  work 
of  each  day. 

While  my  mind  was  filled  with  the  solemnity  of 
the  emotions  caused  by  the  impressive  mountain 
scene,  Dr.  Buchanan  called  to  ask  if  I  would  care 
to  take  a  walk  with  him  to  the  market  place.  On 
leaving  the  mission  compound,  we  crossed  a  little, 
rushing  brook,  beyond  which  was  a  vacant  lot  that 
both  men  and  women  were  using  as  a  toilet,  with 
no  sense  whatever  of  the  impropriety  of  so  doing. 
The  stench  from  the  open  lot  was  something  fear¬ 
ful.  One  was  obliged  to  use  one’s  handkerchief  to 


THE  MACEDONIAN  CRY 


189 


filter,  as  it  were,  the  polluted  air  and  to  keep  the 
nauseating  flies  from  the  mouth.  The  frequency 
of  typhoid  needed  no  further  explanation.  There 
was  absolutely  no  need  for  this  condition.  The 
city  is  on  a  good  slope  with  the  very  best  of  natural 
facilities  for  drainage,  several  streams  having 
their  origin  farther  up  the  valley  run  with  great 
rapidity  through  the  city  in  open  ditches  beside  the 
cobblestone-paved  streets  or  down  the  center  of  the 
street  itself.  No  effort  is  made  in  any  of  these 
municipalities  of  the  interior  to  enforce  cleanliness 
or  to  inculcate  the  simplest  rules  either  of  hygienic 
living  or  of  common  decency.  If  I  had  envied  the 
missionaries  their  magnificent  view  from  the  bal¬ 
cony  of  the  home,  I  did  not  envy  them  the  ordeal 
of  passing  many  times  daily  through  this  disgust¬ 
ing,  loathsome,  nauseating  part  of  the  way  to  and 
from  their  work  of  love  in  the  city. 

All  missionaries  have  learned  the  art  of  pressirg 
visitors  into  service,  and  the  representative  of  the 
Bible  Society  likes  to  be  commandeered.  Of 
course,  I  would  speak  to  the  Sunday  School  in  the 
morning,  and  at  the  church  service  in  the  evening, 
but,  “  How  about  the  service  in  the  jail  on  Sunday 
afternoon  ?”  Miss  Pinn  asked  me,  hesitatingly. 
She  and  Miss  Michell  had  obtained  access  to  the 
city  jail  by  offering  to  extract  teeth  for  any  prison¬ 
ers  suffering  with  toothache.  I  was  only  too  glad 
of  the  opportunity  to  accompany  them  and  to  see 
this  phase  of  their  work. 


190  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


We  passed  the  sentry  at  the  street  entrance  of 
the  jail  and  through  the  narrow  door  into  a  grimy- 
walled  enclosure,  where  we  found  the  jailer  and  a 
few  of  the  guard.  He  received  us  cordially,  shak¬ 
ing  hands  all  round.  I  had  brought  with  me  two 
hundred  copies  of  the  centenary  edition  of  the 
Gospel  of  Luke.  When  I  told  him  that  I  would 
like  to  give  one  of  the  small  books  to  each  member 
of  the  guard,  he  said  that  there  were  eighteen  of 
them  and  that  he  would  take  pleasure  in  seeing  that 
each  man  received  a  copy.  I  gave  him  the  Gospels 
for  the  men.  A  guard  then  accompanied  us  to  the 
barred  entrance  and  unlocked  the  door  in  the  iron 
grating  to  which  the  prisoners  were  already  press¬ 
ing  in  their  eagerness  to  welcome  the  lady  visitors. 
The  gate  opened  just  widely  enough  to  let  us  pass, 
closed,  and  was  locked  behind  us. 

We  immediately  found  ourselves  in  the  midst  of 
a  passing  strange  assembly;  nearly  three  hundred 
unkempt  men,  Indian,  half-breed,  and  white, 
crowded  into  a  muddy  compound,  surrounded  by 
high  walls  in  which  were  two  tiers  of  small,  damp 
cells.  The  filth  and  discomfort  of  the  prison,  and 
the  repulsiveness  of  the  unwashed,  unkempt  in¬ 
mates,  was  simply  indescribable,  yet  here  were  two 
educated  and  refined  English  ladies  rejoicing  be¬ 
cause  they  had  succeeded  in  securing  entrance  to 
such  a  place  in  the  name  of  their  Master. 

How  the  prisoners  crowded  around  us  in  their 
eagerness  to  receive  one  of  the  little  books!  How 


THE  MACEDONIAN  CRY 


191 


strange  that  these  young  ladies  should  be  able  to 
circulate  among  such  men  with  absolutely  no  sense 
of  fear.  At  first  we  gave  the  Gospels  to  only 
those  who  demonstrated  their  ability  to  read,  but, 
finding  that  those  who  could  not  read  were  much 
disappointed  at  not  receiving  a  copy,  I  concluded 
by  giving  out  all  I  had  with  me,  after  satisfying 
myself  that  those  who  were  able  to  read  had  been 
first  supplied. 

The  prisoners  then  gathered  around  in  a 
crowded  standing  group,  to  hear  the  singing  of  a 
hymn,  a  few  verses  were  read  from  Luke’s  Gospel 
that  they  had  just  received,  after  they  had  been 
told  where  to  find  the  passage.  A  simple  Gospel 
message  was  then  delivered  to  a  most  appreciative 
audience.  During  the  closing  prayer  every  man 
stood  with  bowed  and  uncovered  head.  The  ladies 
then  went  to  speak  to  the  few  women  prisoners, 
while  I  accepted,  with  some  reluctance  I  must  con¬ 
fess,  the  invitation  of  a  prisoner  who  had  been 
active  in  helping  with  the  service  to  have  a  seat  in 
his  cell.  I  noted  a  Bible  on  a  box  in  one  corner 
and  remarked  my  pleasure  at  seeing  it  there. 
“  Yes,”  said  he,  “  this  imprisonment,  though  un¬ 
just,  has  been  a  good  thing  for  me,  since  I  have 
found  God  here.”  The  man  seemed  to  be  truly 
converted.  The  fact  that  a  man  spends  years  in 
jail  in  Peru  is  not  even  presumptive  evidence  that 
he  is  a  criminal.  Several  of  the  prisoners  in  the 
Cuzco  jail  at  this  time  had  been  there  four  years 


192  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


without  any  kind  of  trial ;  having  been  arrested  on 
suspicion,  they  were  being  held  until  they  could 
prove  their  own  innocence. 

As  we  were  leaving  the  jail,  the  missionaries  ob¬ 
tained  permission  for  us  to  give  the  prisoners  a 
lantern  lecture  the  following  Wednesday  after¬ 
noon.  I  will  anticipate  by  saying  that  we  gave  the 
illustrated  lecture  on  the  mission  and  work  of  the 
American  Bible  Society  to  as  appreciative  an  audi¬ 
ence  as  I  have  ever  seen.  The  prisoners  were  as 
enthusiastic  as  children  in  helping  to  put  up  the 
screen  and  make  the  electric  connections.  The 
lecture  was  given  in  a  darkened  corridor,  crowded 
to  capacity  with  the  standing  prisoners.  With 
every  movement  we  were  obliged  to  elbow  our  way 
among  our  standing  audience  and  come  in  contact 
with  their  filthy  garments.  The  odour  was  any¬ 
thing  but  agreeable.  The  way  those  ladies  stood 
by,  helping  to  handle  the  slides,  etc.,  without  show¬ 
ing  the  slightest  sign  of  repulsion,  smiling  upon  all 
and  making  pleasant  remarks  as  occasion  offered, 
was  an  object  lesson  in  self-forgetful  service. 

But  to  return  to  Sunday  afternoon.  After  the 
short  service,  Miss  Pinn  asked  if  any  were  suffer¬ 
ing  from  toothache.  Two  men  stepped  forward, 
much  to  the  pleasure  of  the  other  prisoners,  who 
were  anxious  to  see  the  fun.  Seating  the  patient 
astride  a  chair  with  his  face  to  the  back,  Miss  Pinn 
got  a  grip  with  the  forceps  upon  the  troublesome 
molar.  It  was  obstinate  at  first  but  yielded  to  firm 


THE  MACEDONIAN  CRY  193 

persuasion  and  was  held  up  to  be  viewed  by  the 
applauding  spectators.  The  first  patient  exhibited 
the  extracted  tooth  with  its  cavity  while  Miss  Pinn 
operated  with  equal  success  upon  the  other,  in 
spite  of  the  impediment  to  her  movements,  offered 
by  the  interested  onlookers.  As  we  passed  out  we 
found  the  jailer  and  several  members  of  the  guard 
reading  the  copies  of  the  Gospel  that  we  had 
given  them. 

When  we  entered  the  mission  compound  on  our 
return  from  the  jail,  Miss  Baker  came  running  to 
meet  us,  crying  out :  “  The  Indians  have  returned, 
a  whole  army  of  them.”  As  we  rounded  the  cor¬ 
ner  of  the  house,  we  saw  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Milham 
standing  with  their  backs  to  the  wall,  their  heads 
and  shoulders  covered  with  flower  petals  that  a 
company  of  Indians  clad  in  their  characteristic 
ponchos  had  thrown  over  them.  As  soon  as  we 
appeared,  those  Indians  who  had  been  in  the  meet¬ 
ing  the  night  before,  ran  and  embraced  me,  and, 
standing  me  beside  Mr.  Milham,  threw  another 
shower  of  white  petals.  There  were  sixty-two  of 
them.  They  had  brought  an  interpreter  and 
wanted  to  show  their  appreciation  for  our  interest 
in  them  and  to  hear  more  of  the  Gospel. 

Mr.  Milham  requested  me  to  speak  to  them.  I 
told  them  that  God  had  made  us  and  placed  us  here 
to  serve  Him ;  that  all  the  misery  in  the  world  had 
come  as  a  result  of  disobedience  to  God’s  law. 
Man  had  sinned  and  gone  astray;  but  that  God, 


194  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


the  loving  Father,  was  doing  all  in  His  power  to 
redeem  and  win  us  back  to  Himself.  He  had  sent 
Jesus  to  show  us  His  will  and  to  provide  for  us  a 
way  of  salvation.  All  of  these  things  are  written 
in  a  Book  which  He  has  also  given  us  that  we  may 
find  our  way  to  Him.  Repentance  for  our  wrong¬ 
doing  and  obedience  to  God  is  our  only  way  out  of 
trouble  into  happiness.  I  then  asked  the  inter¬ 
preter  to  read  John  iii:  16,  in  Quechua. 

I  was  at  a  loss  what  further  to  say  to  this  un¬ 
usual  company.  I  wanted  to  establish  some  point 
of  contact  and  the  idea  occurred  to  me  to  question 
them.  So  I  said :  “  Now,  you  have  all  come  here 
for  some  purpose.  What  do  you  want?  Is  there 
anything  we  can  do  for  you?  Any  way  in  which 
we  can  help  you  ?  ”  Their  answer  through  the  in¬ 
terpreter  was  prompt  and  repeated :  “  We  want 
civilisation.  We  want  civilisation.  We  want 
schools  where  we  and  our  children  can  learn  to 
read.  We  are  being  robbed  of  our  land,  our  ani¬ 
mals,  of  even  our  clothing  and  the  labour  of  our¬ 
selves  and  children  because  we  are  ignorant  and 
cannot  read  or  write  and  do  not  know  how  to  se¬ 
cure  our  rights.  We  know  that  the  laws  of  Peru 
are  good,  but  we  cannot  avail  ourselves  of  them 
because  of  our  ignorance.  The  law  says  our  chil¬ 
dren  shall  have  an  education;  but  the  land-owners 
do  not  want  them  to  learn.  When  we  do  send  the 
children  to  school,  the  teachers  always  use  them  as 
servants  to  work  and  to  run  on  trivial  errands. 


THE  MACEDONIAN  CRY 


195 


They  also  send  them  out  among  the  land-owners  in 
the  neighbourhood  to  act  as  servants  in  the  houses. 
We  are  imprisoned  on  false  charges  in  order  to 
break  our  spirits.  The  priests  are  one  with  the 
land-owners  and  officials.  We  want  Christian, 
Protestant  schools.  Please  send  them  as  quickly  as 
you  can  and  save  us  from  extermination.” 

I  asked  if  they  would  be  willing  to  help  with  the 
construction  of  such  schools  and  with  the  support 
of  teachers  if  we  could  secure  them.  They  replied 
that  they  would  be  willing  to  make  the  adobe 
bricks  and  do  the  work  connected  with  the  build¬ 
ing,  and  that  they  would  share  their  food  with  the 
teachers.  I  promised  that  we  would  do  our  best  to 
see  that  this  appeal  of  theirs  reached  the  ears  of 
the  Christian  world.  I  urged  them  to  pray  to  our 
loving  Heavenly  Father  for  the  needed  help,  and 
told  them  that  we  would  continue  to  pray  for  them 
while  trying  to  see  what  could  be  done  to  secure 
for  them  the  opportunity  for  an  education.  Mean¬ 
while,  I  asked  them  to  come  back  the  next  morning 
at  eight,  and  let  me  have  a  photograph  taken  of  all 
who  wanted  Christian  schools  established  in  their 
villages  and  communities.  They  promised  to  come. 

Promptly  at  eight  A.  M.  the  following  day  more 
than  one  hundred  presented  themselves.  Those 
who  came  said  there  %vould  have  been  more,  but 
that  many  had  returned  to  their  homes  discour¬ 
aged  at  the  indifference  of  the  government  to  their 
appeal  for  protection.  I  was  not  particularly  well 


196  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


pleased  with  the  work  of  the  photographer.  He 
talked  and  joked  in  Quechua  and  in  Spanish  and 
succeeded  in  a  measure  in  getting  them  to  smile. 
I  would  have  preferred  the  characteristic  sad  and 
serious  expression  with  which  they  were  looking 
to  far-off  America  as  a  possible  source  of  the  help 
of  which  they  stand  in  such  desperate  need.  The 
fact  that  some  of  them  were  smiling  when  the 
photo  was  taken,  however,  not  only  disproves  the 
assertion  that  the  Quechua  Indian  never  smiles,  but 
is  an  evidence,  and  for  us  who  were  there  a  me¬ 
morial,  of  the  way  in  which  these  Indians  let 
down  the  partition  of  suspicious  reserve  that 
they  habitually  throw  up  between  themselves  and 
the  white  man,  in  order  to  talk  to  us  of  their  needy 
condition. 

After  the  photographer  left,  we  gave  them  a  few 
added  words  of  encouragement  and  invited  them  to 
return  in  the  evening  to  see  some  lantern  views  of 
my  own  land  which  I  promised  to  show  them.  As 
they  left,  every  one  of  the  men  came  and  embraced 
Mr.  Milham  and  myself.  The  respectful  embrace 
given  by  a  Quechua  Indian  consists  in  putting  the 
arms  around,  one  over  the  shoulder  and  the  other 
under  the  opposite  arm  of  the  person  embraced,  but 
without  compressing  or  even  touching  him.  The 
Indians  all  returned  at  night,  and  we  gave  them 
the  illustrated  lecture  on  the  front  lawn  of  the 
missionary  home,  using  the  whitewashed  outside 
wall  as  a  screen.  Most  of  those  present  had  never 


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THE  MACEDONIAN  CRY 


197 


seen  anything  of  the  kind  before;  for  such,  it  was 
the  first  glimpse  of  the  outside  world.  The  lecture 
was  on  the  work  of  the  American  Bible  Society  in 
the  United  States  and  included  some  public  build¬ 
ings  and  monuments  as  well  as  the  White  House 
at  Washington  and  other  places  of  interest.  The 
views  that  attracted  most  attention,  however,  and 
those  that  brought  a  murmur  of  approval  every 
time  one  was  thrown  on  the  screen,  were  pictures 
of  school-houses,  schools  in  session,  and  classes  ac¬ 
companied  by  their  teachers.  The  lantern  lecture 
was  our  farewell  to  these  Indians.  Our  hearts 
went  out  to  them  as  they  left  us.  Most  of  them 
would  leave  for  their  distant  homes  on  the  morrow. 
They  were  representatives  from  villages  and  dis¬ 
tricts  throughout  the  extensive  Department  of 
Cuzco.  Some  of  them  had  come  many  days’  jour¬ 
ney  on  foot,  facing  the  cold  and  privation  of  the 
higher  altitudes.  Many  had  come  by  roundabout 
ways  in  order  to  avoid  meeting  land-owners  of 
their  acquaintance.  Others  had  traveled  by  night 
for  the  same  purpose.  Some  anticipated  being 
waylaid  and  beaten  for  their  temerity  in  demand¬ 
ing  the  protection  of  the  government.  They  might 
even  be  killed  and  the  murderers  go  unpunished. 
Disappointed  and  discouraged  at  the  attitude  of 
their  own  government,  they  had  discovered  that 
there  was  one  class  of  white  people  who  were  in¬ 
terested  in  their  welfare,  and  were  returning  to 
their  homes  with  a  glimmer  of  hope,  that  some- 


198  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


thing  might  be  done  for  them  by  the  Christian 
churches  of  the  Protestant  world. 

From  every  quarter,  from  books  and  news¬ 
papers,  from  conversation  with  eye-witnesses,  and 
from  what  I  myself  saw,  I  was  abundantly  con¬ 
vinced  that  the  Indians  under-,  rather  than  over¬ 
stated,  the  wrongs  from  which  they  are  suffering. 
A  landlord  riding  in  the  vicinity  of  Puno,  Peru, 
with  Professor  E.  C.  Phillips,  an  American  edu¬ 
cator,  came  upon  a  small  company  of  Indians  and 
asked  them  a  question  in  the  native  tongue.  Upon 
their  indicating  one  of  their  number,  he  spurred  his 
horse  towards  him.  The  Indian  turned  to  flee, 
but  could  not  escape.  The  man  struck  him  from 
behind  with  his  riding  whip  and  cut  his  face  open 
from  forehead  to  chin,  making  a  ghastly  wound, 
and  left  him  covered  with  blood  which  spurted 
from  mouth,  nose,  and  the  whole  length  of  the 
face.  The  brute  then  returned  to  Mr.  Phillips,  re¬ 
marking  :  “  I  will  teach  him  to  let  mules  get  into 
my  wheat  field.”  The  day  before  leaving  Cuzco, 
I  visited  the  little  dispensary  in  order  to  see  Dr. 
Buchanan  treat  the  waiting  Indian  patients.  A 
strong  man  presented  himself  with  a  badly  bruised 
arm  and  shoulder  and  a  great  gash  on  the  fleshy 
part  of  the  forearm.  To  the  doctor's  questioning, 
always  through  an  interpreter,  the  man  told  how 
the  injuries  had  been  inflicted  by  a  drunken  priest, 
who  set  upon  him  with  a  club  armed  with  spikes 
and  gave  him  a  terrible  beating  because  he  had  not 


THE  MACEDONIAN  CRY 


199 


come  immediately  when  called.  Such  outrages  are 
constantly  perpetrated  with  impunity.  It  would  be 
useless  to  attempt  to  detail  the  interminable  list  of 
injustices  suffered  by  the  Indian  from  the  land- 
owners,  priests,  and  civil  authorities.  Even  the 
soldiers  sent  by  the  government  in  Lima  for 
their  protection  steal  the  Indians’  blankets  and 
ponchos,  outrage  their  daughters  and  young 
wives,  and  if  the  male  relatives  resist,  kill  or 
imprison  them. 

In  the  centennial  number  of  the  Cuzco  “  Sol,”  a 
well-known  doctor  of  the  place  describes  the  jail 
as  a  vile,  loathsome  den,  and  says  it  would  be  a 
good  thing  if  the  youth  of  the  city  would  destroy 
it  like  another  “  Bastille.”  He  goes  on  to  tell  of  an 
Indian,  Paul  Quispe,  being  tortured,  branded  with 
a  red-hot  iron,  and  beaten  by  a  land-owner,  then 
sent  to  the  Cuzco  jail  where  he  had  been  lying  for 
months  without  any  trial.  The  same  number  of 
the  paper  had  a  four-column  article  describing  in 
detail  the  way  in  which  landed  proprietors  sys¬ 
tematically  rob  the  Indians  of  everything  they 
possess  and  then,  if  they  offer  any  resistance,  have 
them  shot  down  by  soldiers  of  the  government. 
This  writer  affirms  and  repeats  that  there  is  no 
justice  for  the  Indian  in  Peru. 

The  full  significance  of  that  gathering  of  In¬ 
dians  in  the  mission  compound,  appealing  to  us  for 
help,  did  not  dawn  upon  me  at  the  time,  and  I  do 
not  know  that  I  yet  comprehend  it  fully.  As  far  as 


200  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


I  have  been  able  to  learn,  it  is  the  first  time  in 
history  that  a  like  representative  body  of  Quechua 
Indians  has  ever  made  such  an  appeal  to  the  Chris¬ 
tian  Church.  These  Indians  could  not  speak  nor 
understand  Spanish.  They  cannot  read  their  own 
language,  and  they  spoke  through  an  interpreter, 
but  there  was  no  mistaking  what  they  wanted — 
help  from  those  who  knew  better  than  they  how 
to  solve  life’s  problems. 

While  those  attempting  to  evangelise  the  Indian 
and  help  him  in  his  upward  struggle  will  have  the 
encouragement  and  sympathy  of  enlightened  na¬ 
tional  leaders,  violent  opposition  may  be  expected 
from  those  interested  in  keeping  him  in  a  state  of 
slavery.  I  have  already  spoken  of  the  expulsion  of 
the  missionaries  from  Yungay,  Peru.  Encouraged 
by  their  success  in  Yungay,  the  friars  attempted  to 
incite  the  people  to  drive  the  Scotch  Presbyterian 
missionaries  from  Cajamarca.  They  organised  a 
procession  with  an  image  at  the  head  which  halted 
in  the  street  in  front  of  the  missionary  home.  A 
religious  zealot  then  mounted  the  balcony  opposite 
and  began  to  read  a  discourse  in  which  he  de¬ 
manded  the  expulsion  of  the  Protestants,  declaring 
that  they  were  free  masons  and  socialists,  both  of 
which  Rome  considers  special  enemies.  When  he 
was  in  the  midst  of  his  harangue  a  young  lawyer 
presented  himself  at  his  side  and  began  a  speech 
reminding  the  people  that  liberty  of  worship  was 
the  right  of  all  in  the  Republic.  The  disgusted 


MR.  POWLISON  BEHIND  PRISON  BARS  FOR  THE  SAKE 
OF  THE  GOSPEL,  SAN  PEDRO,  BOLIVIA,  1922. 

CAKCHIQUEL  INDIAN  EVANGELISTS  OF  CENTRAL 
AMERICA  MISSION,  ANTIGUA,  GUATEMALA. 


THE  MACEDONIAN  CRY 


201 


monk  immediately  ordered  the  procession  to 
proceed. 

In  January,  1922,  shortly  after  my  visit  to  San 
Pedro  the  Rev.  George  Allan  was  imprisoned  at 
the  instigation  of  the  local  priest,  who  then  got 
drunk  and  boasted  that  he  now  had  the  heretics  in 
his  power.  Mr.  Powlison,  of  Torocari,  where  I 
passed  the  night  on  my  way  to  and  from  San 
Pedro,  was  in  jail  many  weeks  and  under  arrest 
the  greater  part  of  1922,  accused  of  murder  of  an 
Indian  boy  whom  he  had  befriended.  In  Spanish 
countries  any  one  of  sufficient  standing  can  make 
an  accusation  against  another  and  have  him  im¬ 
prisoned  on  suspicion.  The  accused  must  then 
prove  his  own  innocence  in  order  to  obtain  his  re¬ 
lease.  The  government  is  under  no  obligation  to 
prove  guilt.  Mr.  Powlison  was  given  to  under¬ 
stand  that  if  he  would  promise  to  leave  the 
country  all  would  be  well  and  he  would  be  re¬ 
leased.  This,  however,  he  refused  to  do,  and  his 
wife  and  little  children  waited  his  return  many 
months  alone  in  the  mud-walled  hut  of  the  Indian 
village. 

Any  work  in  these  countries  has  its  intellectual 
as  well  as  its  spiritual  compensations.  While  the 
missionary  is  engaged  in  the  task  of  evangelisation 
and  community  uplift  there  is  ample  scope  for  the 
continuation  of  study  and  personal  development  as 
well  as  abundant  opportunity  to  contribute  to  the 
stock  of  world-knowledge  in  a  variety  of  intensely 


202  GLIMPSES  OF  INDIAN  AMERICA 


interesting  fields  of  research.  Many  of  the  sciences 
await  contributions  from  Indian  America. 

These  glimpses  have  dealt  almost  exclusively 
with  the  semi-civilised  agricultural  and  pastoral 
Indians  now  occupying  the  territory  of  the  great 
pre-Spanish  empires  and  civilisations.  Slight  ref¬ 
erence  has  been  made  to  the  very  many  small 
barbarous  and  savage  tribes  inhabiting  the  tropical 
jungle,  or  to  the  sporadic  cases  of  missionary  ef¬ 
fort  to  reach  them.  These  also  present  an  impor¬ 
tant  and  fascinating  field  for  Christian  activity. 
The  present  burden  of  responsibility,  however,  lies 
in  ministering  to  these  more  numerous  nations  of 
Maya,  Quechua,  and  Aymara  stock  whose  repre¬ 
sentatives  are  already  looking  to  us  for  help. 
These  will  then  furnish  the  workers  and  leaders  to 
undertake  their  own  burden  of  helping  their 
weaker  and  more  needy  neighbours. 

As  I  view  in  retrospect  the  sections  of  Indian 
America  described,  I  see  the  filth  and  squalour,  the 
poverty  and  rags,  the  hopeless  apathy  depicted  on 
the  features ;  I  see  an  Indian  with  his  face  cut  open 
by  the  cruel  whip  of  the  landlord,  another  with 
arm  and  shoulder  mutilated  by  a  drunken  priest. 
I  see  the  filthy  jails  and  the  wretched  hovels.  Then 
I  see  that  body  of  representative  Indians  in  Cuzco 
appealing  through  me  to  Christian  America  for 
help  and  my  heart  goes  out  to  God  in  gratitude  for 
sparing  me  to  bring  their  message.  With  the  eye 
of  faith  I  also  see  advantage  taken  of  this  oppor- 


THE  MACEDONIAN  CRY 


203 


tunity  for  Christian  service  to  the  helpless  repre¬ 
sentatives  of  once  powerful  nations;  I  see  mission¬ 
ary  doctors,  nurses,  and  teachers,  dispensaries  and 
hospitals,  churches  and  schools;  I  see  cleanliness 
and  hygiene  eliminating  smallpox,  typhus,  and 
typhoid;  I  see  mothers  helped  and  the  great  infant 
mortality  checked.  As  the  result  of  the  helping 
hand  finally  held  out  to  him  in  the  name  of  our 
Master,  I  see  the  virile  and  tenacious  redeemed  In¬ 
dian  multiplying,  prospering,  and  coming  into  his 
own  in  the  marvelous  heritage  that  is  his  in  the 
heart  of  the  great  Continent  that  God  has  given 
him. 


Index 


Aguas  Calientes,  Mexico,  80. 

Aguilar,  Gen.  Hijinio,  45. 

Allan,  Mr.  George,  88,  151, 
161. 

Alvarado,  Gen.  Salvador,  41. 

Amazon,  94;  valley,  86,  90, 
128,  136,  172;  sources  of, 
!57. 

American  Bible  Society,  25, 
26,  49,  60,  62,  81,  82,  83, 
85,  88,  89,  90,  93,  118,  192. 

American  Institute,  La  Paz, 
142. 

Andes,  accessible  from  west, 
94. 

Antigua,  Gautemala,  87. 

Appeal,  for  civilization,  23, 
194;  to  the  heroic,  24. 

Arequipa,  Peru,  105,  106, 
107,108,110. 

Army,  Mexican,  29,  38,  39, 
40. 

Arque,  Bolivia,  151,  165-7-8. 

Atahualpa,  175. 

Aymaras,  16,  86,  88,  89,  110, 
111,  144,  146,  170,  174. 

Aymara  language,  137,  174. 

Baker,  Miss  Joyce  B.  A., 
182,  193. 

Barker,  Rev.  W.  F.,  126-7. 

Barron,  Sr.,  164. 

Becerra,  Miss  Febe,  70. 

Beck,  Mr.  Frank,  142. 

Benson,  Rev.  J.  H.,  64. 

Bible  distribution,  60;  re¬ 
sults  of,  60-64,  164. 

Bible  House,  Cristobal,  C. 
Z.,  82,  83,  85,  86,  87,  88, 
92,  94,  95. 

Blanco,  Rev.  Asuncion,  37. 


Blanco,  Rev.  L.,  48,  62,  63. 

Bocas  del  Toro,  Panama,  83. 

Bolivia,  11,  12,  17,  88,  94, 
105,  110,  128;  Comparison 
of,  128. 

Bolivian  Indian  Mission,  88, 
151,  157,  164. 

Buchanan,  Dr.  Jas.,  178, 188. 

Burgess,  Rev.  Paul,  87,  88. 

Cakchiquels,  86,  87. 

Callao,  Peru,  102,  105. 

Campeche,  32,  33,  34,  36. 

Canadian  Baptists,  142-3-4. 

Carranza,  48,  79,  80. 

Central  America,  82,  88,  89. 

Chagres  River,  97. 

Chibchas,  86. 

Christian  and  Missionary 
Alliance,  93. 

Chuno — see  Dried  Potatoes. 

Churches,  Disposition  of,  in 
Yucatan,  53-56. 

Civilization,  Appeal  for,  23, 
194;  Indian,  11,  15,  16. 

Cleanliness  of  Mayas,  29;  of 
mission  converts,  112,  113, 
121. 

Coca  chewing,  111,  122,  176. 

Cochabamba,  Bolivia,  140, 
141,  145,  150. 

Colburn,  Mr.  H.  M.,  112, 

120,  121. 

Colombia,  82,  83. 

Colon,  R.  P.,  84,  86. 

Colporteurs,  25,  32,  33,  62. 

Columbus,  23. 

Constancy  of  Mexicans,  13. 

Conversions  from  Bible 
Reading,  60-64,  164. 

Cordillera  Real,  129,  131. 


204 


INDEX  205 


Cortez,  23. 

Cousins,  Rev.  S.  C.,  83. 

Cragin,  Mr.  Paul,  126-127. 

Cristobal,  C.  Z.,  82,  83,  86, 
92,  94,  95.  See  Bible 
House. 

Cuzco,  Peru,  89,  170-203 ; 
ruins  of,  177. 

Darien  Indians,  86. 

Diaz  regime  in  Mexico,  12, 
14,  15,  38. 

Diglot  Gospels,  89,  165. 

Distributing  Gospels,  20-22. 

Dress,  of  Mayas,  33 ;  of  La 
Paz,  135-137. 

Dried  Potatoes,  117. 

Drunkenness,  19-20,  138, 

139,  176. 

Durango,  Mexico,  63,  64. 

Ecuador,  11,  23,  89,  93,  110. 

Ecuadorian  Coast,  100. 

Education,  in  Mexico,  39, 
42 ;  desire  for  in  Peru, 
124,  143,  144,  194-7;  de¬ 
sired  generally,  59. 

Erosion,  rapid,  147-150. 

Evangelical  Union  of  South 
America,  179. 

Exploitation  of  Indian,  15- 
18,  139,  140,  176. 

Fanaticism,  absent,  64. 

Fanatics,  56,  126. 

Farm,  Mission,  143,  181. 

Festivals,  19-20,  137-140. 

Field,  Mrs.,  112. 

Flies,  of  Lake  Texcoco,  74. 

Forecast,  202-3. 

Friendliness,  49,  50,  53,  80. 

Garcia,  Aurelia  and  Maici- 
mino,  66-69;  family,  73. 

Garza  Mora,  Rev.,  60-61. 

Gatun,  Lake,  97. 

Gospel  distributing  in  Mex¬ 
ico,  20-22. 


Gospel  Missionary  Union, 
92. 

Gregory,  Rev.  R.  R.,  87. 

Guaqui,  Bolivia,  129. 

Gautemala,  11,  12,  17,  19, 
87;  gold  of,  16-17. 

Hauser,  Rev.  J.  P.,  48. 

Head  Hunters,  see  Jibaros. 

Herrera,  Colporteur,  32. 

Herrera,  Professor,  Mexico 
City,  78-9. 

Huerta,  39. 

Incas,  102,  110,  111,  170,  178. 

Inca  Empire,  94. 

Indian,  disinherited,  12,  14, 
44;  ignorant,  14;  former 
culture  of,  15;  character¬ 
istics,  16;  as  pack  animals, 
17,  18;  neglected,  23; 

Appeal  of,  23,  24;  not 
fanatical,  51-64. 

Indian  America,  definition 
of,  11;  unevangelized,  11. 

Illiteracy,  14. 

Jail,  in  Cuzco,  visit  to,  189- 
192. 

Jarrett,  Rev.  John  T.,  179. 

Jibaros,  90-3. 

Jordan,  David  C.,  68. 

Jordan,  Mrs.  W.  F.,  35,  65, 
66,  67,  73,  80. 

Juarez,  Benito,  17. 

Juliaca,  Peru,  123,  171. 

Lake  Texcoco,  Mexico,  65, 
70-77,  80. 

Lake  Titicaca,  105,  110,  114- 
16,  118,  126,  129,  143,  171, 
172,  173. 

Lake  Titicaca  Mission,  112, 
118-26. 

La  Paz,  Bolivia,  105,  128- 
144. 

Laredo,  Texas,  20,  49,  50. 

Lima,  Peru,  103-5. 

Llera,  Sr.  E.,  33. 


206 


INDEX 


Literature  needed,  59,  60. 

Lottery  in  Peru,  103-4. 

Maltrata,  Mexico,  47. 

Markham,  Sir  Edwin,  130. 

Marrs,  Rev.  Frank,  64. 

Maryland  Bible  Society,  82. 

Mayas,  29. 

Maya  Language,  31,  37,  63, 
87. 

McKinney,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H. 
C.,  151,  152,  168. 

Medical  assistance  needed, 
58,59,125,163. 

Merida,  Yucatan,  28,  29,  30, 
32,  36,  37. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Mis¬ 
sion  Schools,  140-2. 

Mexicans,  Character  of,  13, 
37, ,  50. 

Mexico,  11,  23;  peonage 
abolished,  12,  44;  Diaz  re¬ 
gime  in,  14;  life  in,  25-82. 

Mexico  City,  17,  20,  44,  47, 
48,  49,  50,  65,  72,  74; 
thievery  in,  69;  Museums, 
77-8 

Michell,  Miss,  184,  185,  186. 

Milham,  Rev.  Wm.,  178, 185, 
193. 

Milham,  Mrs.,  182,  186,  193. 

Mission  Indians,  112-13. 

Missionary  farm,  Cuzco, 
181. 

Mollendo,  Peru,  105,  171. 

Molloy,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  T., 
37. 

Moravians,  88. 

Mosquito  Indians,  88. 

Mountain  Fuel,  tola  yareta, 
108. 

Mountain  sickness,  108,  109, 

112. 

Mule  journey,  152-163. 

Muna,  Yucatan,  52. 

Museums,  77,  78,  104. 

Nature  of  help  needed,  58- 
59. 


Nicaragua,  C.  A.,  88. 

Oldham,  Bishop  Wm.  F., 
143. 

Orizaba  City,  45. 

Orizaba  Mountain,  43. 

Oruro,  Bolivia,  145,  147. 

Panama,  82,  83,  86,  94;  In¬ 
dians  of,  83-86. 

Panama  Canal,  82 ;  transit 
of,  95-99. 

Payne,  Mr.,  and  Missionary 
Farm,  181. 

Peonage,  12,  30-31,  44,  194. 

Persecution  in  Peru,  126, 
127 ;  to  be  expected,  200 ; 
in  Bolivia,  201. 

Peru,  11,  12,  93,  128. 

Peruvian  Coast,  100-102. 

Peters,  Rev.  F.,  180. 

Photographing  Q  u  e  c  h  u  a 
Group,  196. 

Pinn,  Miss,  184,  189. 

Pizarro,  23,  94,  104. 

Plateria,  Peru,  113,  120-1, 
125. 

Powlison,  Mr.  and  Mrs., 
157,  201. 

Presbyterian  Mission,  37,  60, 
61. 

Progreso,  Yucatan,  26,  33, 
38,  53. 

Protestant  Missions,  native 
testimony,  118-9. 

Pulque,  48. 

Puno,  Peru,  95,  105,  110, 
111,  119,  128,  172. 

Purdy,  Mrs.  E.,  85. 

Quechuas,  16,  86,  88,  89,  90, 
93,  110,  144,  146,  151,  152, 
164-5,  168,  170-203;  New 
Test.,  164-5. 

Queretero,  Mexico,  20. 

Quezaltenango,  Gautemala, 
17. 

Quiches,  86,  87,  105. 

Quito,  Ecuador,  17,  110. 


INDEX 


Railway  Travel,  in  Yuca¬ 
tan,  32-36;  in  Mexico,  44- 
49;  in  Peru,  105-111,  172, 
178;  in  Bolivia,  129-131, 
1.45-151. 

Religious  liberty  in  Yuca¬ 
tan,  41. 

Reserve,  causes  of,  58. 

Retrospect,  202. 

Revolution,  Mexican,  25,  27, 
30. 

Riobamba,  Ecuador,  89,  90. 

Rock  rivers,  149,  157. 

Rodriguez,  Colporteur  Luis, 
39,  40. 

Rojas,  Rev.  Miguel,  46. 

Roman  clergy,  hated,  14,  39, 
41,  46. 

Salaverry,  Peru,  118. 

San  Bias  Indians,  83,  85. 

San  Luis  Potosi,  Mexico, 
49. 

San  Pedro,  Bolivia,  151-5-8, 

^  161,  165,  166,  168. 

Schools  built  to  show  good 
faith,  125. 

Servants  in  Mexico,  65-69. 

Seventh  Day  Adventists, 
118,  122,  125. 

Shakeshaft,  Mr.,  163. 

Soldiers,  14 ;  Students,  39-40. 

Soria,  Rev.  Francisco,  64. 

Southern  Baptist  Mission, 
64. 

Stahl,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  A., 
118,  119. 

Texcoco,  see  Lake  Texcoco. 

Thievery,  in  Mexico,  44,  49; 
in  Peru,  103. 

Thompson,  Wallace,  quoted, 
23. 


207 

Tiahuanaco,  Bolivia,  129-30. 
Ticul,  Yucatan,  53. 

Titicaca,  see  Lake  Titicaca. 
Torocari,  Bolivia,  157,  165- 
6,  201. 

Townsend,  Rev.  W.  C.,  87. 
Translation,  83,  87,  88,  89, 
164,  165. 


Underground  rivers,  Yuca¬ 
tan,  28. 

Valiente  Indians,  83. 

Vasquez,  Rev.  A.  T.,  103. 

Vera  Cruz,  Mexico,  42-44. 

Villa,  48,  80. 

Wealth  of  America,  the 
real,  23,  64. 

Wesleyan  Mission,  English, 
83. 

Westrup,  Mr.  T.  M.,  63. 

Whitehead,  Mrs.  Irving,  143. 

Windmills,  28. 

Wintemute,  Rev.  H.  E.,  144. 

Wolfe,  Rev.  F.  F.,  40,  45. 

Woodward,  Mrs.  Wm.,  89, 
90. 

Xochimilco,  Mexico,  79. 

Xochitenco,  Mexico,  65,  72. 

Yaquis,  29. 

Yellow  fever,  34,  43. 

Yucatan,  25-37 ;  under¬ 
ground  rivers,  28;  peon¬ 
age  abolished,  30,  31,  41, 
42. 

Zapata,  81. 

Zunil,  Gautemala,  19. 


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